Kalumbila mine promotes gender equality

Fri, 10 Mar 2017 13:02:11 +0000

By JACK MAPAPAYI

KALUMBILA Minerals Limited respects human rights and promotes gender equality as one of the tenets it believes in and practises in the work place and the surrounding communities where it operates, says public relations coordinator Miriam Harmone.

Ms Harmone said programmes to promote skills without discrimination had been put in place such as the graduate programme that identified high performing students in the higher learning institutions.

She said the Trident Foundation which was responsible for the implementation of all corporate social responsibility development programmes targeted a 50 percent participation of women as beneficiaries.

“We believe in empowering a woman and have a dedicated woman and youth empowerment section,” she said.

Ms Harmone was speaking during this year’s International Women’s Day at Kanaga Primary School which was commemorated under the theme “Women in the changing world of work; planet 50-50 by 2030”.

She said to support the theme  the Trident Foundation has launched educational scholarships for primary, secondary and trades schools.

“And plans are underway to introduce higher learning scholarships,” she said.

And officiating at the function, Kalumbila district commissioner Robinson Kalota said this year’s theme resonated with the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals number five which aimed at achieving gender equality and empower all women and girls by the year 2030.

“In this regard, Zambia has resolved to eliminate all forms of discrimination and violence against women and girls in the public and private spheres,”  he said.

He said Zambia had further committed through the SDGs to eliminate all harmful practices such as child early and forced marriages.

Earlier, organising committee chairperson Mercy Samanana said since its declaration as a district, Kalumbila district administration had assumed its role in promoting, protecting and enforcing human rights.