Secretary to the Cabinet Roland Msiska has reiterated government’s commitment to promoting a gender responsive and inclusive development for all Zambians.
Dr. Msiska said government has continued to demonstrate this by strengthening gender equality in prioritised areas of the economy such as agriculture, construction, infrastructure development, job creation and tourism.
He said effective gender mainstreaming is a tool that will enable government make the development agenda more inclusive and responsive to the needs of women, men, girls and boys.
ZANIS Reports that Dr. Msiska said this in a speech read on his behalf by his deputy Ambassador Peter Kasanda during the official opening of the two days Retreat for a Committee of Permanent Secretaries on Gender.
The two days gender retreat is a joint support programme between Government, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Department for International Development Aid (DFID).
Dr. Msiska has since urged the committee to accelerate gender responsiveness development by ensuring that sector plans and budgets are fully engendered.
And Dr. Msiska has directed the Public Service Management Division (PSMD) to ensure that the Strategy and Implementation Plan for Engendering the Public Service is fully operational.
Dr. Msiska also urged the PSMD to make tangible follow ups on the recommendations of the gender strategy plan which he said is cardinal in strengthening the Gender Focal Point System in the public sector.