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Government has noted with concern that despite having over 51 percent of the country’s population female, the women remain underrepresented in almost all spheres of socio-economic development.
Lumezi Town Council Chairperson, Oliver Mwale said worse still, Science Engineering, Technology and Innovation (STI) has continued to record the lowest numbers of women participation at country level.
Speaking at the International Women’s Day commemoration in Chitungulu, a rural set-up of Lumezi District’s valley area, Mwale said it must be realized that Science and Technology are fundamental to sustainable socio-economic development of any nation.
The 2023 International Women’s Day has been commemorated under the theme; “DigitALL: Innovation and Technology for Gender Equality”, aligned with the priority theme for the upcoming 67th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women.
Mwale said the emerging global consensus is that despite some progress made, real change has been antagonizingly slow for majority women and girls as no country can claim to have achieved gender equality.
He said Lumezi Town Council believes that Innovation and Technology is also key towards achieving the gender equality desired at country level, hence the them for women’s day is appropriate at district level.
Meanwhile, Mwale said the New Dawn governments policy is empowering women as the country’s development agenda is outlined in realizing Vision 2030 which seeks to create a new Zambia which is a “Strong and Dynamic Middle-income Nation”.
He said to this effect, the council last year awarded at least 63 women clubs and cooperatives a total of more that K567,087 as grants under the 2022 Constituency Development Fund CDF.
Mwale said these resources have played a pivotal role towards making women in Lumezi economically viable and independent as they have ventured in various businesses which include; poultry, village banking, goat rearing and piggery.
Chief Chitungulu’s representative Alex Banda said women deserve to be celebrated and encouraged in their day to day ventures.
The traditional leadership also commended government for women empowerment through CDF grants as many women groups in the Chiefdom have benefited.
Speaking at the same occasion, Sisters of Charity of Ottawa representative, Sister Sarah Mwale called on parents to take advantage of government’s free education policy by ensuring children are sent to school and keep monitoring.
Sister Mwale further urged the council in Lumezi as an eye of government to see to it that it spearheads women livelihood activities using the Constituency Development Fund across all wards equitably.
Contributed by: Julius Phiri
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