COMESA praised for appointing women
COMESA has raised the bar regarding the fulfilment of providing equal opportunities to men and women by appointing women to higher positions.
Livingstone Chamber of Commerce president Namakau Sianga said the appointment of Chileshe Kapwepwe as Secretary-General of COMESA, the largest regional economic community in Africa, was evidence of the organisation’s commitment to providing equal opportunities even to women.
Ms Sianga said in an interview that she was thanking President Lungu for his support to gender related issues.
“Madam Kapwepwe, and other women in higher positions in general, shows the promotion of gender issues in our country.
As the saying goes, when you empower a woman you have empowered the nation,” she said.
Ms Sianga said the appointment of Ms Kapwepwe would help in transforming COMESA to a level where traders would accelerate their businesses and become major economic players.
She said most of the women were in trading and were helping in driving the country’s economy.
Women were keen to closely work with the new secretary-general to address a number of supply side constraints and international trade barriers to enhance economic growth of the region and of Zambia in particular, she said.
“Indeed we are pleased by such appointments which have been achieved on merit, and as in the case of Ms Kapwepwe, she had been in a number of distinguished portfolios both in government and international organisations, therefore, she truly deserves the post to transform the region at large,” Ms Sianga said.