THE visit by United States Vice-President Joe Biden’s wife, Jill, recently was educative and an encouragement to Zambia in fostering women’s empowerment.
Dr Biden was in Zambia for an official visit about two weeks ago.
During the visit, Dr Biden revealed that it was on the agenda of her country to improve women’s lives through educational opportunities, access to health, combating gender-based violence (GBV) and empowering women.
Dr Biden noted that her country had taken the route of improving women’s lives because of the realisation that a nation could not reach its full economic potential unless women reached theirs first.
It was encouraging to hear Dr Biden further state that world governments and business leaders were pursuing new policies to make sure that women could enter, stay and contribute to economies.
To this end, I seriously think if Zambia has to reach its economic potential, the country needs to take a leaf from the message delivered by Dr Biden.
In this regard, I am also of the opinion that Zambia needs affirmative action at all levels to ensure that women achieve their economic potential.
Zambia needs affirmative action because historically women in the country have never been at the same footing with men.
There is no doubt that with affirmative action, women empowerment will be guaranteed.
On the other hand, Zambia needs to do more in the area of empowerment by pursuing new policies, although it is encouraging that it is beginning to show signs of progress.
To this end, recently, the Government formed an inter-ministerial committee aimed at tackling child marriages in the country.
This was disclosed by Chiefs and Traditional Affairs Minister Professor Nkandu Luo who revealed that the Government had in fact sought the support of a number of organisations to help end child marriages.
Indeed, the move by the Government to fight child marriages is a step in the right direction to helping young girls realise their potential.
This is one way of improving educational opportunities among girls in Zambia where some parents, more so in the rural areas, have been exchanging their girls with wealth.
On GBV, the Government has been in the forefront of fighting the scourge in Zambia.
Yes, the country is making progress but I think more needs to be done.
Zambia still needs to ensure that women enter, stay and contribute to national development by improving their lot through educational opportunities, access to health, combating GBV and empowering them.
As I conclude I must state that Dr Biden’s visit to Zambia was indeed educative and encouraging to women, girls and Zambia as a whole.
Taking a leaf from her message on women empowerment would indeed take Zambia to higher levels.
Equally, her message to the Zambian youth to focus on education was an encouragement.
In her message, Dr Biden called on the Zambian youth to focus on their education to succeed.
Dr Biden said “by focusing on their studies youths were creating life time opportunities.”
Admittedly, her visit to Zambia was indeed educative and an encouragement not only to women but to Zambia as a whole.