Zambia will not meet SADC gender protocol – Women’s Lobby

Women’s Lobby national Chairperson Beauty Katebe Phiri notes that other countries in the SADC region have managed to increase the number of women in decision making using affirmative action such as reviewing the legal framework for more women to hold decision making positions.

Ms. Phiri notes that the Zambia National Women’s Lobby has been waiting for the response for the submissions that were made to the Technical Committee on drafting the constitution to see if they will be incorporated in the final document.

And Ms. Phiri has described 2013 as a very difficult year in that the poverty levels remained significantly high especially in rural areas.

She adds that it is a well known fact that women and children are the most affected by high poverty levels hence the need for government to strategize on best the levels of poverty can be reduced.

Ms .Katebe has urged government to pay serious attention to the education sector and ensure that the drop out of girls in schools is a thing of the past.

She says it is worrying to see the number of girls dropping out of school increasing as a result of early pregnancies, early marriages and poverty amongst other things.