By MILDRED KATONGO  –

•Women are perceived to be weaker beings when in fact they are not.

DESPITE the existence of human rights and gender equality instruments, women in Zambia and across the globe continue to suffer various forms of violence perpetrated by society.
Women are perceived to be weaker beings when in fact they are not.
In order for the women to be recognised, concerted efforts need to be made to ensure that these barriers are done away with.
Many times, women are discriminated against, especially in accessing productive resources, education opportunities and quality healthcare.
Both the Millennium Development Goal Number Three (MDG3) and the Southern African Development Community Protocol on Gender and Development directly promote gender equality and women’s empowerment, by calling on member states to commit to and take measures to ensure that women and girls have access to their basic rights.
Despite this move, women have remained under-represented in all areas of decision-making. It is sad to note that a day hardly passes without reading in the media that a woman has been battered or raped.
Cases of gender-based violence (GBV) have taken a toll on society despite the several remedial measures that have been put in place to curb the vice.
It is therefore a good that Cabinet has approved the Gender Equity and Equality Bill to be tabled before Parliament.
Once the Bill is passed into law it would guide the nation in the promotion of men, women and children’s rights.
The Gender Equity and Equality Bill is targeted at eliminating any forms of discrimination against women in accessing productive resources, education opportunities and quality health care services.
Stakeholders advocating for women’s rights have for a long time been crying for the Gender Bill which aims at eliminating any form of discrimination to be tabled before Parliament
A cross section of stakeholders advocating for women’s rights have welcomed the move by Cabinet’s approval of the Gender equity and equality Bill to be tabled before Parliament.
Minister of Information and Broadcasting Services Chishimba Kambwili  announced recently that Cabinet had approved the Gender Equity and Equality Bill to be tabled before Parliament.
Mr Kambwili said the Gender Equity and Equality Bill was targeted at eliminating any forms of discrimination against women in accessing productive resources, education opportunities and quality health care services.
The Zambia National Women’s Lobby (ZNWL) is pleased with Government’s decision to introduce the Gender Equity and Equality Bill.
ZNWL chairperson, Beauty Katebe said this was a step in the right direction for the elimination of discrimination against women and girls as the bill once passed into law would promote equality between men and women in all sectors of development.
Ms Katebe said the Gender Equity and Equality Bill once passed into law would also guarantee more resource allocation to issues of gender and provide a legal basis for Government to compel the private sector to mainstream gender in their institutions.
She urged all Members of Parliament to support the Bill when it is introduced in Parliament as it will help bring about gender equality at all levels in Zambia.
“We are happy that the Bill will now be tabled before Parliament, countries that have achieved gender equality in development are those that have introduced such legal instruments, this is a step in the right direction,” she said
Ms Katebe implored Government to continue facilitating the empowerment of women as this was the only way sustainable and equitable development could be attained
Young women Christian Association (YWCA) Copperbelt chairperson Sharon Chisanga said in an interview that the move was a step in the right direction.
Ms Chisanga said Government should put in place deliberate polices aimed at empowering women in Zambia.
She said the organisation was looking forward to see how effectively this would be implemented and discussed by the parliamentarians.
Ms Chisanga expressed happiness at the way Government was handling issues related to gender.
“We appreciate the move taken and we hope it will be effectively discussed by the parliamentarians, we are also happy that Government is positively handling gender issues as evidenced from the policies in place,” she said.