Speaker Mutti advocates women empowerment at Eurasian conference

Speaker of the National Assembly, Nelly Mutti, has urged Parliamentarians to strengthen the legal framework and policies aimed at empowering women.

Addressing a Plenary Session at the Fourth Eurasian Women’s Conference in St. Petersburg, Russia, Mutti stated the role of parliamentary action and international cooperation in increasing women’s participation in society.

Mutti, speaking under the theme “Women for Strengthening Trust and Global Cooperation,” highlighted that Parliament’s core functions provided multiple entry points to advance women’s empowerment at national, regional and global levels.

“Since my election as Zambia’s first female Speaker, I have advocated for transforming the Women Parliamentary Caucus into a Standing Parliamentary Committee on Women Affairs, to prioritise women’s rights and welfare,” Mutti said in a statement issued in Lusaka on Wednesday.

She lamented the low global participation of women in politics, citing 2024 Interparliamentary Union statistics, which showed that only 27 percent of parliamentarians worldwide are women.

In Zambia, she noted, women make up just 15 percent of the 167-member Parliament.

Mutti called for constitutional reforms to ensure gender equality and urged Parliamentarians to push for budget allocations dedicated to women empowerment and social sectors that promote sustainable development.

She stressed the importance of international cooperation in turning parliamentary efforts into concrete government actions based on global best practices for advancing women’s participation in decision-making.

Russian President, Vladimir Putin, and Speaker of the Federation Council Valentina Matvienko were also present at the conference.

WARNING! All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express permission from ZAMBIA MONITOR.