Mon, 13 Mar 2017 09:06:42 +0000
By BENNIE MUNDANDO
THE high-profile engagements at the 61st session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW61) in New York will help Zambia mobilise resources for women and girls’ empowerment, says First Lady Esther Lungu.
Mrs. Lungu, who is a strong advocate for women empowerment, safe motherhood, protection of the girl child, promotion of rights for persons with disabilities and the fight against Gender Based Violence (GBV), was speaking in New York on Saturday ahead of the meeting which starts today.
According to a statement from the first secretary for press and public relations at the permanent mission of the republic of Zambia to the United Nations, Chibaula Silwamba, Ms. Lungu noted that the CSW was significant to Zambia and that the country would utilise the platform to highlight the milestones it had achieved in the protection and promotion of the welfare of women.
“Zambia’s participation at the 61st CSW is of great importance because it is an exchange programme of ideas springing from the international community where we shall have the involvement and participation of high profile personalities and people from countries from around the world,
“As First Lady, I will lobby and mobilise resources from our cooperating partners including the UN agencies that are already in good books with us, but upon receiving our report on how much we have done, it should encourage them to do much more,” Ms. Lungu said.
She said the Esther Lungu Foundation Trust acted as one of the vehicles for the line ministries to use in delivering services to the people of Zambia, especially the less privileged.
“We want to make sure that our girl children receive empowerment, that is, education and good health and our women also need economic empowerment because they are the people who have a lot of responsibilities in these households,
“Empowering women means the children will grow up in a decent environment, they will receive the education that they need and in the end they will be independent citizens who are going to contribute towards the economic growth of our country,” she said.
The First Lady will participate in the largest annual women’s gathering, which draws hundreds of participants from government ministers and officials, first ladies, princesses, policy makers and implementers, heads of UN agencies and other international organizations, donor agencies, civil society organizations, corporate executives, women’s movement, celebrities, human rights activists and other stakeholders from across the world.
Gender Minister Victoria Kalima, MP for Kasenengwa, will later lead the Zambian delegation to the session.
Zambia has won international respect for its advocacy and implementation of policies and programmes that protect and promote the wellbeing of women and girls.
