Where Were The Women?

Only one partnerorganisation at the MS-Zambia Annual Meeting 2005 was represented by a woman. MS-Zambia and its partners needs do much more on gender. Communication for empowerment could help boost women’s confidence and self-esteem

By Diana Mulilo

Ms. Betty Ngoma from SLAMU was the only woman representing a partner organization at this years MS-Zambia Annual Meeting.

A clear sign that that decision-making positions at partner level are still mostly held by men and that MS-Zambia and partner-organisations have a long way to go in terms of incorperating gender in their activities.

Seen in this light the theme for this years MS-Zambia AM, Communication for empowerment’ can hopefully play an important role at partner level in strengthening women’s positions in the partner organizations and for women to gain their grounds on how gender roles play to improve their development and also to be part of the decision making positions.

Gender mainstreaming

The MS-Zambia Policy Paper for 2002-2006 states that pursuing deliberate policies of supporting partners in mainstreaming the gender approach in most of its projects for this year is cardinal.

The aim is to increase the participation of women in participatory analysis and local activity planning and to deepen community understanding on how gender and socio-economic differences can affect development processes, democratisation and human rights.

Furthermore, MS-Zambia is also working towards changes in power relations between men and women in the private sphere as part of the efforts to empower the poor at community level and create equal opportunities.

More work is needed

The question is if MS-Zambia and partners have done enough in this area:

MS Zambia also recongnises the SADC Declaration of reaching the 30 per cent representation of women in decision-making positions by the year 2005. Reaching of this target seems to be too far for Zambia. With regards to promoting gender equity and women empowerment, not much has been done by both government and stakeholders’ organisations.

At government level the Gender policy is in place but it is poor implementation that government and interested stakeholders are failing to implement.

Women of course want shared powers (equally) but it is the sensitization and social up bring, the traditional norms that hinder in seeing women gaining there confidence and self esteem to fight for change that affect the relationship of shared power.

Betty Msimuko Ngoma extension officer from ZAWA/Southern Lwangwa Area Management (SLAMU) says she does not think that the 30 percent of women representation in decision–making positions will be reached soon.

She said it’s a change that has been imitated for most African states of recent, and changes take a while to take face/place.

“Also the grass roots have not been sufficiently sensitized to participate or support the gender groups,” Ngoma said.

Women don’t stand up

Ngoma further explains that at the moment, she is working at mainstreaming gender in all of her community work activities and out of work activities, as well as leading as a role model.

It’s still difficult to get the women to stand up more than the men due to their lack of self esteem resulting from not only cultural barriers but also low education standards in especially the rural areas, which is contributing to the slow implementation of gender roles.

Ngoma also observed that it was time organizations started developing deliberate gender policies and plans at organization levels.

Ngoma stood for the Policy Advisory Board (PAB) membership position of which she received very little support from the men, even if she got in. This is why MS-Zambia partners need to put in place gender policies that will look after the women’s interests.

Now that Ngoma is part of the PAB it will help her push gender policies forward.

MS-Zambia Programme Officer, Caroline Mukosa says within MS- Zambia Policy Paper, gender and HIV/Aids are considered as cross-cutting issues to be mainstreamed in all partnership activities.

Key issue to be adressed

Under the WAPAC (Well being, Awareness, Participation and decision-making, Access and control) activities, there are activities that relate to gender and HIV.

“In both cases, MS does not directly provide this support but rather supports partners to create linkages with well knowledgeable organisations in these areas that can assist them mainstream gender in their activities,” Mukosa explained.

Mukosa said gender is a key issues to be addressed among MS-Zambia partners but it is not yet clear how this will be done.

Hopefully we will see more women represented at the next MS-Zambia Annual Meeting.