Zambian Women Are Shunning Politics Due to Hostile Male Counterparts

Gender Minister Elizabeth Phiri has noted with concern that women in Zambia are shunning politics due to it being a male-dominated landscape that is hostile and unpleasant towards women.

Whilst at the UN Phiri urged women to engage in Zambia’s political governance in order to achieve sustainable economic progression. Whilst opening a side event at the 63rd United Nations Commission on Women, Minister Phiri noted that the competition in elective political leaderships in Zambia and other countries is often too aggressive to allow for the participation of education women.

“In Zambia, like many other countries, particularly in developing nations, for women to get to high elective political positions, they have to defeat men and it is not an easy undertaking. Educated women are shunning politics because the male-dominated political sphere has remained aggressive. But women have to actively engage in the political governance of countries if the social and economic gender gap has to be closed for sustainable development,” Mrs. Phiri said.

However, she assured guests that Zambia was committed to improving the situation and promoting a more enabling environment for women and girls.

The PF government has at times come under criticism for its gender equality efforts, most notably due to the promotion of General Kanene as an ambassador for gender equality, despite being a convicted sexual offender