Hakainde Hichilema’s Women’s Day Message

Today we join together across the globe to celebrate UN International Women’s Day. For several years now the 8th of March has been set-aside for us to recognise the importance of women’s rights and to acknowledge their achievements, gifts, contributions and unlimited value. This year we focus on the theme ‘Planet 50-50 by 2030’, which endeavours to ensure complete gender equality, the UPND wholeheartedly supports this.

International Women’s Day is not just for celebrating the important role women play in our societies, today is also a chance to reflect on the work that has yet to be done and the struggles that many women and girls face daily around the world. For the UPND, today is a chance to evaluate how well Zambia has done and how much we still need to do.

It is promising that a Marriage and Child Code Bill is expected in parliament shortly but to date Zambia still has a shameful record on the rights of women and girls. In 2015 we still maintain one of the highest child marriage rates globally, with 41% of women aged 20-24 married by the time they are 18, and in some provinces this figure reaches 60%. In addition, 2015 saw 13,000 girls below the age of 18 leave school and sacrifice their education because of pregnancy and child marriage.

It is not good enough that in Zambia female literacy rates remain 12% lower than boys; girls continue to struggle more than their male counterpart to gain a good education and in turn economic empowerment. Despite promises, the PF government haven’t even come close to closing the gap between men and women in Zambia. The argument that you cannot address poverty overnight holds true only to the extent that you cannot address it overnight but you can make policy overnight that affects women in a positive manner and the benefits begin to show.

The UPND are strongly committed to 50:50 opportunities at home, in school and in the work place. It is time Zambian women had a government who put their needs first and recognised their valuable contribution to our society. As we have said before equality in theory is not enough, we must have equality in practice and we recognise the transformative potential of empowering women throughout society. As we go for nominations, we would like as many women as possible to apply for adoption at various levels of elections.

The UPND pledge to provide equal access to education, equal opportunity in business, equal pay for equal work, and improved healthcare services for women. This International Women’s Day we’re taking a stand for women in Zambia, enough is enough and it’s time to make a real commitment to women’s rights. The UPND will be unfaltering in this mission.

Hakainde Hichilema
UPND President