Gender permanent secretary Felix Phiri says government has set aside K25 million to go towards improving gender and social development.

According to a statement issued by Zambia’s first secretary for press in Ethiopia Inutu Mwanza, Phiri said this on the sidelines of the Committee on Gender and Social Development meeting.

“He said governments move to develop clusters would see development trickle down to all its citizenry especially women who are often marginalized. Dr Phiri said Zambia is seeking support to develop the Gender Development Index in order for the country to measure its performance on reducing development inequalities. He also said government had this year set aside K25 million to go towards improving gender and social development,” Mwanza stated.

She stated that Phiri explained that the funds would help women come up with viable projects.

She also stated that Dr Phiri said government was concerned about the low representation of women in politics.

“He said the ministry of Gender has since held a workshop with the ministry of justice and Electoral Commission of Zambia to find ways of engendering the Electoral Code to allow for more participation of women in politics,” Mwanza stated.

Meanwhile, she stated that Dr Phiri said government was also concerned with the recent spate of GBVcases in the country.

“He said there was need for different stakeholders to come together and find amicable ways of helping societies to get rid of the vice that has seen a number of lives being lost. Dr Phiri urged the church, Civil Societies and Traditional leaders to take an interest in sensitizing the citizenry about the dangers of GBV saying government alone cannot manage to curb the vice,” stated Mwanza.

She also stated that Zambia had been cited as one of the countries in Africa with the best practices in instituting a coordination mechanism as that exemplified by the industrial cluster approach that has been adopted under the Seventh National Development Plan.

The declaration was made by the Economic Commission for Africa-ECA- during a Committee on Gender and Social Development in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.