As Zambia celebrates its 59th Independence, Action Aid Zambia has called on government to reflect on the need to increase women’s participation in decision making, especially at the Parliamentary level.
Organization Interim Country Director, Jovina Nawenzake, said government should equally facilitate easy acquisition of Land and other capital resources.
Nawenzake in a statement issued in Lusaka on Monday said that this would allow women have a meaningful stake in decision making and income stability.
She said unless there is economic empowerment, women can’t stand and proclaim that they are indeed “proud and free”.
“With 59 years of political independence, Zambia still has less than 20 percent of women and youth owning land,” Nawenzake said.
She said this directly gives a reflection that these groupings are still marginalized and not economically empowered.
Nawenzake said it was also the responsibility of the government to create an enabling environment for the enjoyment of people’s liberties and ensure equality in social economic development.
“The current rise in the cost of living should equally remind Zambians of the need to get together and find tangible solutions,” she said.
Nawenzake said the high cost of living if not managed well could lead to increased poverty for the marginalized in society such as women and the young people.
She said the 59th Independence should be a reflection moment to ponder for greater ideas together
“As we commemorate the 2023 Independence Day themed, “Accelerating national development through equitable disbursement of resources”, we feel that the theme resonates well with the current economic struggles that most women and youths are going through in Zambia,” Nawenzake said.
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