Patriotic Front deputy Secretary General Mumbi Phiri has said women are stronger than men because they are made from bone, not soil.

And Phiri says women at places of work should be given what is due to them because they play an important role in society.

Speaking to News Diggers in an interview in commemoration of the International Womens’ Day Celebration which fell yesterday, Phiri said President Edgar Lungu had already set the example of how important women were by choosing a female to be his vice.

“This year’s theme [for womens’ day], like in Zambia, things have already started happening for the rural and urban women. I can give an example of myself, I am coming from the grassroot. From the compound, I have risen to where I am. From a marketeer as I have always said, to be where I am. Like in Zambia, because of the leadership that we have especially in the Patriotic Front, it’s only our president who thought of having a woman as his running mate and Vice-President. So since the world is recognizing that we are very important, as Zambian women, it even gives us more energy to perform regardless of where we are coming from. A lot of women remain shy because of the levels of education they have,” Phiri said.

“All people understand that there are very few women who are educated by our tradition and our culture. But I would urge the women with this theme, remember, God created us to give stronger views. We were created from the bone, a bone is stronger than soil, so that makes us know that we are stronger than men, men were created from the soil. We are the ones who hold families. That is why when you see even in politics where women shy away, it’s because they want to keep their families. When a home is broken, it’s usually a woman who is chased. We hold our families, we look after our husbands regardless of our status.”

She called for equality even at places of work.

“Gender equality at places of work, let us be given what is due to us according to how we are supposed to contribute. We are contributing towards either political parties, either places of work, we should be recognized in our places of operation,” said Phiri.