Africa-Press – Zambia. The Non-governmental Gender Organizations’ Coordinating Council (NGOCC) has urged the new dawn government to take advantage of the offer by the cooperating partners to fund the referendum on the expanded bill of rights. NGOCC board chairperson Mary Mulenga said that Zambia can only address the issue of human rights through an enhanced bill of rights.
Speaking at the NGOCC end-of-year media breakfast in Lusaka yesterday, Ms. Mulenga said that the new dawn government should take advantage of the goodwill from the international cooperating partners to fund the process of holding a referendum on the bill of rights.
Ms. Mulenga appealed to the government to facilitate for a National Referendum for the inclusion of the expanded Bill of Rights in the new constitution that will guarantee social-economic rights of citizens, adding that government should pursue constitutional reforms to ensure that it addresses the gaps in the amended constitution of 2016.
Ms. Mulenga noted that Zambia missed an opportunity to enact a constitution that would represent the fundamental principles and wishes of the majority of Zambians and Zambians are now hopeful that the new dawn administration will facilitate a process that will ensure that the country has a constitution that stands the test of time.
And Ms. Mulenga says the women’s movement is disappointed with the appointments done so far by President Hakainde Hichilema. Ms. Mulenga has lamented the low number of women being appointed to positions of decision-making and has wondered why Zambia ratified some international treaties with regards to gender equality but failed to honor them.
Ms. Mulenga has called on the government to expedite the process of repealing the NGO act of 2016 to bring about a self-regulatory mechanism for NGOS and enhance civil society operating space.
Meanwhile, NGOCC executive director Engwase Mwale has welcomed the appointment of the permanent secretary for the gender division. Ms. Mwale has since called on the gender division to ensure there is effective gender mainstreaming within the public sector.
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