Get involved in governance, women advised
GENDER Minister Elizabeth Phiri has challenged women to engage actively in political governance as this might assist in closing social, economic gender gaps.
Ms Phiri observed that in Zambia, it was not easy for women in get into high elective political positions because it involved defeating males.
The minister said this during the official opening of the 63rd United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) event, in New York recently.
Held under the theme, “Promoting Rights-based Social Protection Policies for Gender Equality, a prerequisite for Social Justice and Sustainable Development”, the event was organised by Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES) in collaboration with Zambia, Women in Informal Employment Globalising Organising, Africa Platform for Social Protection and Africa Labour Network.
“In Zambia, like many other countries, particularly in It is important that these male-centred structures are softened, to ensure equal access to decision-making positions in public administration.
“Government, parents and teachers should ensure that egalitarian principles form the basis of early socialisation of children.
“This can be achieved through mass mobilisation campaign about the need to break traditional attitudes and stereotypes of women’s roles and inequality with men.
“The role of the media and religious organisations is crucial in achieving this goal,” Ms Mumba said.
She also urged women to be aggressive in their fight for developing nations, for women to get to high elective political positions, they have to defeat men and it is not an easy undertaking,” said Phiri,
She noted that competition in elective political positions of leadership in many countries was often too aggressive for full participation of educated women, hence creating gender inequalities.
“But women have to actively engage in the political governance of countries if the social and economic gender gap has to be closed for sustainable development,” Ms Phiri said.
She observed that educated women in Zambia were shunning politics because of a belief that it was a male-dominated landscape, saying this had often been hostile and unpleasant to the female gender.
The Zambian Government, she said, continues to create an enabling environment for promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls through a range of innovative policies meant to close the gender social, economic and political disparities. gender equality.
Ms Mumba added that women should put their best foot forward as power cannot be given to women on a silver platter.
“Women, particularly the activists among them, should influence public policies in favour of women so that they can compete with men for political positions.
“Researchers should collaborate with women activists to engage not only in beneficial studies that touch the lives of ordinary women, but also achieve curriculum reform in the universities, which can assist in breaking the gender stereotypes in society,” she said.