Govt pledges to empower women

Government has pledged to continue empowering women in order to eliminate discrimination and achieve gender equality and equity.

Gender and Child Development Deputy Minister Dorothy Kazunga said government will achieve gender equality and equity through the development and implementation of responsive legislation and policies.

Ms Kazunga was speaking during a Women Interactive Forum held in Lusaka ahead of International Women’s day which falls on Sunday, March 8, 2015.

She has since called for individual commitment when dealing with issues that affect women in order to help them contribute positively to national development.

Ms Kazunga said there is need to prioritize gender issues and increase capacity building as well as looking at the SADC protocol on gender and development in order to make the 50 percent representation of women in decision making positions.

She said women play a significant role in the family, church, government and society further stating that empowerment would make them more productive members of the labour force.

And Zambia Interfaith Networking Group on HIV/AIDS (ZINGO) executive director Yussuf Ayami said it was high time men started complimenting women in order for them not to feel intimidated.

She said if women are embraced and supported by the menfolk in their daily activities they can realise their full potential in life because they are enterprising human beings.

He said some women live in fear because men undermine them and consider them as inferior.