PF MILESTONES ON THE ROAD TO GENDER EQUALITY

By Sunday Chilufya Chanda

“Yes, as human beings we take a lot of things for granted” Mutinta mumbled to herself in a barely audible whisper as she stared thoughtfully into the starlit night sky.

“Iwe Tinta, don’t start counting the stars like Father Abraham! Uza lepela, ta wakwanishe!...It's an impossible task you dont even think about it" Mwamba's voice cut into Mutinta’s brief moment of contemplation.

“Ati shani boi? Tell me again, what that man said about taking the stars for granted?” she responded in a shrill tone that mimicked the curiosity of a child.

The two lady teachers were house-mates at a newly built Government Technical Secondary School for girls.

The two were reflecting on the thoughts of 18th Century American Philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson who asserted that people’s attitude toward the stars would change if the heavenly bodies appeared only once every thousand years.

His theorised that because humankind saw the heavenly bodies so often, people have become so accustomed to their splendour that that they take them for granted.

Emmerson’s observation is just as poignant today as it was more than 200 years ago. For instance there were many seemingly implausible dreams that not so long ago topped the nation’s wish list; yet many of them are today a reality. The last seven years have particularly unfolded in a galaxy of national accomplishments across various sectors and like the philosopher of old observed, it is easy to become so familiar with them that they can be taken for granted.

Take the case for Gender Equality.

Women in Leadership, Decision Making and Political Space.

Besides the standout appointment of Her Honour Mrs Inonge Mutukwa Wina as the first female Vice President of the Republic of Zambia, there have been a myriad of significant mile stones over the last seven years that have given Zambia a quantum leap on the road to Gender equality.

During this period, a significant number of women have been appointed to previously male dominated key positions of decision making such as Chief Justice, Inspector General of Police, Head of the Anti-Corruption Commission, Auditor General, Head of the Drug Enforcement Commission, President of the Constitutional Court, and Judge President of the Court of Appeal, among others.

Zambian women have clearly progressed by leaps and bounds in their participation in decision making and national affairs.

However, in the afterglow of all these achievements, it is easy to miss the many other ground-breaking Gender Equality accomplishments the country has attained over the last seven years.

Gender Equality - Policy and Legislation

Whereas previous governments’ generally made token gestures by making figurative and symbolic efforts such as appointing women ministers and ambassadors, they did so only to prevent criticism and to give the appearance that women were being treated fairly.

The bar was raised after 2011 when the Patriotic Front set a new standard. Within the first six months of office, the PF Government upgraded Gender in Development (GIDD) from a mere department under cabinet office, to a full-fledged ministry- The Ministry of Gender and Child Development.

The Gender Policy was revised and the Ministry has since provided accelerated leadership and specialist guidance on policy formulation, implementation and mainstreaming in the area of gender equality.

This has continued to culminate into appropriate and progressive policy and legislation such as the land mark Gender Equity and Equality Act of 2015 which among other things provided for the establishment of the Gender Equity and Equality Commission and provided for the taking of measures of making strategic decisions in all spheres in order to ensure gender equity, equality and integration of both sexes in society as well as the promoting of gender equity and equality as a cross cutting issue in all spheres of life.

Further to this, under the leadership of His Excellency Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu, a lawyer himself, the Constitution of Zambia (Amendment) Act, 2016 was enacted, re-affirming government’s commitment to Gender Equality.

The new constitution set out a new affirmative framework and the establishment of a Gender Equality Commission. In the section "Political values, principles and objectives" the new constitution states : "Government shall ensure gender balance and equitable representation of disadvantaged groups, including the youth and persons with disability, in all constitutional offices and other State institutions."

It further states: "the Government shall implement the principle that not less than thirty per cent of the members of elective or appointive bodies are of the same gender.”

“The electoral system shall ensure that the representation of each gender is not less than thirty per cent of the total number of seats in the National Assembly, local authority or other elective body; and shall ensure equitable representation of persons with disabilities and the youth.”

It goes on “making the appointments, the President shall observe gender balance."

The new constitution is a watershed in the attainment of Gender Equality.

In addition, the Ministry of Justice a few months ago launched the process of engaging stakeholders in the development of the Draft Political Parties Bill 2017, which among other gender friendly provisions stresses gender quotas within political parties. The Bill clearly stipulates a requirement of 50% of women in high ranking decision making positions as a pre-requisite to enable a political party to qualify for certain privileges.

This will invariably galvanise women to hold high office within political parties other than just National Chair for women.

In line with the Patriotic Front (PF) Manifesto, the government is also actively pursuing the introduction of other women friendly legislation, such as the Child Code Bill, Marriage Bill, Sexual Abuse Bill, and Divorce Bill to enhance gender parity.

Education for Women and Girls

It is a given that the number of women in decision making is a function of the number of educated women.

The advent of the girl child friendly Patriotic Front government, marked a defining moment in support of girls’ education.

According to the World Bank’s National Education Profile 2014 Update Zambia’s , gross enrolment rate in primary education is 114% for both girls and boys combined.

This decreases to 68% in lower secondary, with a student transition rate to secondary school of 56%.

The primary net enrolment rate is 94% while the primary completion rate is 91%. The World Bank Report states “both of these indicators provide a sense of the progress the country is making towards universal primary education”.

School enrolment and retention for girls continues to soar.

The government has also scaled up the construction of Technical Secondary schools for girls in all the 10 provinces of our country. This development is targeted at stemming gender stereotyping of subjects and courses at secondary school and tertiary levels.

Educational opportunities that enhance and promote the rights of the girl child, particularly in removing the impediments that inhibit their progression are thus being vigorously enhanced.

The government has also up scaled the Re-entry Policy which seeks to give a second chance to pregnant girls to return to school after childbirth.

In a related unparalleled development, the government in the 2017 budget provided for sanitary pads for girls. This policy is envisaged to boost retention of girls in school, particularly in rural areas.

The government through the Ministry of Gender and Development has also come up with various policies and programmes that seek to reduce women and girl’s poverty through a project entitled, Girls’ Education and Women’s Empowerment and Livelihoods (GEWEL).

The GEWEL project is designed to empower families of girls that have been removed or affected by Early and Forced Marriages.

The objective is to empower families with livelihoods that will enable them have enough food in their homes as well as taking girls back to school.

*PF Government's vigorous Efforts against Child Marriage*

Because education has a profound effect on girls’ and women’s ability to claim social, economic and political rights and achieve status in society, the government has been passionate in its campaign against child marriage.

Since the launch of the campaign to end child marriages in 2013, Zambia has made steady strides aimed at reinforcing efforts to end child marriages through government and all other stakeholders.

In recognition of the multifaceted nature of the child marriage challenge, the Government established a consortium of 11 Ministries to respond to the task.

In recognition of Zambia's efforts in ending Child Marriages, the Commission of the African Union requested Zambia to host the first girls Summit on Ending Child Marriages in Africa .

The two day summit took place in Lusaka in November 2016 and was well attended by over 1,100 delegates from across Africa.

Participants included ministers dealing with social development issues and children affairs. The gathering also attracted First Ladies and former First Ladies from Ethiopia, Kenya, South Africa, and Zambia as well as Religious and Community leaders youth advocates and women and girls affected or survivors of child marriage.

Zambia emerged as a guiding light of Gender equality and empowerment of women and the girl child.

....

As if by telepathy Mutinta and Mwamba simultaneously raised they eyes to the night sky grateful that they could behold the flickering stars that are light years away.

They were grateful that although perfection had not been attained, Zambia for women was better than what it was yesterday.

What was seemed light years away was now a reality in their country...

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