NGOCC Urges Holistic Approach to Women’s Empowerment

Non-governmental Gender Organisations’ Coordinating Council (NGOCC) Board Chairperson, Ms. Grace Manyonga-Sinkamba has urged the government to take a holistic approach towards women’s empowerment.

She says women’s empowerment must not be restricted to economic empowerment only.

Ms. Sinkamba says women’s empowerment was a broad concept that involved many facets of human endeavor including the building of self-confidence and assertiveness and issues such as literacy.

Ms. Sinkamba also called on the government to involve Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) during preparations for women’s rights-related conferences both regionally and internationally as CSOs had knowledge based on their work at community level.

Ms. Sinkamba noted that while the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) had a huge potential, it was still marred with a lot of bottlenecks that have also disadvantaged women.

“Madam Minister, we have observed that the New Dawn administration has restricted women’s empowerment to economic empowerment only. However, if you look at the literacy levels of women, they are very low, thereby leaving out many women in a lot of processes. Your Officers on the ground are not implementing the literacy program because they prefer teaching in classrooms and shun teaching under trees as an alternative where buildings are unavailable as we see in some areas” she said.

“Look at the CDF for example. That fund is supposed to be a game changer but the processes are too complicated for an average woman and this has led to many women being left out. CDF is an issue, women are being manipulated and marginalized because they cannot write or fill in those CDF forms. Women have to pay the men to fill in an application form. Women cannot sign on a form and end up shying away because of the fear of being embarrassed. Some women are also being accused of mismanaging money simply because of their low literacy levels. We need to train our women and prepare their minds” she charged.

And Minister of Community Development and Social Services, Honorable Doreen Mwamba has said there is need for continued collaboration between her Ministry and the NGOCC and that working in isolation only serves to disadvantage vulnerable women and girls.

Ms. Mwamba commended NGOCC for the great work, especially in championing women’s rights in Zambian.

“I would like to assure NGOCC of my ministry’s support because we are aware that NGOCC’s success, was the government’s success as well. I regret to mention as government we have not done enough to collaborate with Civil Society Organisations” She noted.

“For example, during the preparations for the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW68) which was held in New York earlier this year, I wondered why we did not work together. You see, when we work in isolation, it is the women and girls who suffer” she said.

Ms Mwamba added that her Ministry was very alive to the fact that the drought, which was declared a disaster, affected women the most, and therefore, they have planned to roll out winter maize for June this year. She said she saw an opportunity to work with NGOCC to target the Members of NGOCC who were already in organized groups.

“The President declared a national disaster and, in an emergency, there are no protocols, and therefore, let us get to get to work right away. Funds are available and we need to engage the women, to grow winter maize beginning June this year.”

The Minister further proposed holding a conference to discuss the welfare of women and ensure women were speaking the same language.

She also mentioned that her ministry had signed an MoU with an institution, aimed at enhancing literacy levels among women and she hoped that the ministry could work with NGOCC in ensuring that this was achieved.

“Let us sit and agree on modalities of holding the indaba so that we begin to talk with one voice as women. We will also be holding monthly meetings so that we are agreed on what issues are affecting us as women she observed.

In response Ms. Sinkamba welcomed the proposal for an indaba as an avenue to bring women together to discuss issues that affect them and to agree possible solutions and that that was long overdue. Ms. Sinkamba argued that Zambian women were up to the task and would greatly benefit from the government initiatives.

“Let us unite across the political divide and speak with one voice over issues affecting us as women. It does not matter which political party or NGO a woman comes from,” she said.