NGOCC cries foul over low number of women in new cabinet

By MUBITA KATETE

THE Non-governmental Gender Organisations' Coordinating Council (NGOCC) has warned that the country is making little progress towards gender parity in political leadership after only five women were appointed among 40 cabinet and provincial ministers.

NGOCC Executive Director Anne Mbewe-Anamela said the five appointments represented only 12.5 percent of the total ministerial positions, raising concerns about women's representation in the country's highest levels of decision-making.

In a press statement issued yesterday, Ms Mbewe-Anamela congratulated Olive Clara Chiboola, Caroline Chanda Katotobwe, Brenda Tambatamba, Princess Kasune and Sheal Mulyata on their appointments to ministerial portfolios.

She said the organisation was confident that the five women would contribute positively to their respective sectors and advance the government's Grow Zambia Agenda.

However, Ms Mbewe-Anamela said the appointments fell short of the principle of equal representation, with women occupying five of the 30 cabinet positions and none of the 10 provincial minister positions.

She also noted that no woman with a disability had been appointed, while only one of the 26 women who entered Parliament through proportional representation had been selected for a ministerial position.

"Five out of 40 appointments represent only 12.5 percent. These figures demonstrate that Zambia is not making progress toward gender parity," she said.

Ms Mbewe-Anamela said the situation was particularly concerning when compared with the appointments made after the 2021 general elections, when women held four of the 25 Cabinet positions and one of the 10 provincial minister positions.

She said that despite the expansion of cabinet from 25 to 30 positions, the number of women appointed had remained almost unchanged.

According to NGOCC, the underrepresentation of women reflects systemic barriers within political structures and electoral processes that continue to limit their participation in leadership.

"At 62 years of independence, Zambia cannot afford a leadership landscape that excludes the majority of its citizens," Ms Mbewe-Anamela said.

She said women constituted more than half of Zambia's population and deserved fair representation in decision-making positions.

Ms Mbewe-Anamela added that the country's low representation of women was inconsistent with its commitments under international and regional instruments, including the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women and the SADC Gender Protocol.

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