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A Zambian government official has said Gender Based Violence (GBV) is hampering women empowerment in the country.
Lewis Mwape, Northern Province Deputy Permanent Secretary, said great value should be placed on the importance of ensuring an enabling environment for women and girls.
Mwape said President Hakainde Hichilema had placed great value on empowering women and girls.
He made the remarks when he toured Natwampane Project Institutions and Sites in Mbala and other projects in Mpulungu and Senga Hill respectively in Northern Province on Thursday, December 8, 2022.
“The new dawn government has identified three critical dimensions of empowerment and participation of women,” he said.
The three dimensions according to Mwape are : enhancing capabilities in the areas of education and health; access to opportunities and resources, especially to employment or land; and agency which talks about women’s ability to participate in decision-making.
The Project which was largely supported by the European Union (EU) and other partners is aimed at ending Sexual Gender Based Violence (SGBV) in Northern and Luapula Provinces.
“An enabling environment may be interpreted as a set of interrelated and interdependent systemic conditions such as policies, laws, institutional mechanisms, resources, etc., which facilitate the
promotion of gender equality.”
According to the EU, the Natwampane programme was bringing together local authorities, traditional and religious leaders, service providers and young people to prevent sexual and gender-based
violence.
This would also improve access to quality services for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence in Zambia’s Luapula and Northern Provinces.
The programme is funded under the European Development Fund with a budget of EUR 25 million (more than 400 million Kwacha) and will be implemented mainly through non-governmental organisations, working in
close cooperation with local authorities and Civil Society Organisations(CSOs).
Zambia’s former President Edgar Chagwa Lungu said there should be no compromise when it comes to any issues to do with SGBV, all matters should be reported and let the law take its course.
In addition, Ambassador of the European Union to Zambia Jacek Jankowski also called on all stakeholders to join forces to stop SGBV.
“Together we are strong, and together we can make a difference,” he said.
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