Africa-Press – Zambia. The Non-governmental Gender Organisations’ Coordinating Council (NGOCC) has expressed its displeasure over political parties’ failure to adopt women as candidates in the Kabwata Parliamentary by elections coming up on 20th January, 2022.
All the seven candidates, who successfully filed in their nominations on Tuesday, are men. NGOCC Executive Director Engwase B. Mwale said in a statement issued on Wednesday that the council is disappointed with political parties for not fielding women in the Kabwata by election.
Mrs. Mwale said the NGOCC is concerned over the lack of commitment by the political parties to enhance women’s participation in politics and ultimately decision-making positions. She said it was unfortunate that not even the ruling United Party for National Development (UPND) could lead by example ahead of Kabwata by election.
Mrs. Mwale said political parties and the Government must begin actualising Zambia’s commitment to gender equality at all levels as espoused in various regional and international treaties that the country has ratified. She said it is clear that the exclusion of women from the governance process by political parties is deliberate and systemic.
“The Non-governmental Gender Organisations’ Coordinating Council (NGOCC) wishes to register our disappointment with the choice political parties have made NOT to adopt women to participate in the Kabwata by election slated for January 20th 2022. As the women’s movement, we are extremely concerned by the lack of commitment by the political parties to enhance women’s participation in politics and ultimately decision-making positions,” Mrs Mwale said.
“NGOCC has noted with sadness that all the participating political parties have adopted men to the exclusion of women. We are particularly disappointed with the United Party for National Development (UPND), as the governing party for not leading by example,” she said.
“The numbers of women elected at local Government and Parliamentary levels after the August 2021 elections remain unacceptably low. It was therefore our hope that the political parties would take advantage of these by elections to redress the gender inequalities in these decision-making spaces.”
Mrs Mwale added:”It is high time that political parties and indeed the Zambian Government started actualizing Zambia’s commitment to gender equality at all levels as espoused in various regional and international treaties that the country has ratified.”
“It is becoming abundantly clear that the exclusion of women from the governance process by political parties is deliberate and systemic, further entrenching patriarchy in our society. It is against this background that we demand for a law that will compel political parties to adopt women so as to narrow the widening gender inequalities in the political sphere,” she stated.
“We would like to call upon all the women of this country to rise up and demand for their rightful spaces. Women cannot be reduced to mere spectators and cheer leaders in the governance of their own country. The obtaining of gender inequalities are totally unacceptable and a violation of women’s rights. The exclusion of women from participating in the governance of the country negates democracy. This discrimination must be stopped now,” Mrs Mwale concluded.
The Kabwata Parliamentary seat fell vacant after the death of UPND MP Levy Mkandawire in a road accident on 18 November, 2021. Seven candidates successfully filed their nominations on Tuesday among them Chilufya Tayali of Economic and Equity Party, Sydney Zyambo of People’s Alliance for Change and Francis Libanda of the United Progressive Party.
Others are Clement Tembo of the Patriotic Front, Andrew Tayengwa of the United Party for National Development, Socialist Party’s and Tripher Ng’andu and Henry Muleya of PeP.
Meanwhile, ECZ could not allow the Democratic Party to contest the election because of internal wrangles that are currently before court as party President Harry Kalaba battles his vice Judith Kabemba.
The campaign period for the elections commenced on Tuesday 28th December 2021 after 15:00 hours and will end at 18:00 hours on Wednesday, 19th January 2022.
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