UNIP Targets 50 Per Cent Women Representation

September 6, 2005 – (The Times of Zambia) UNIP (United National Independence Party) has said it is targeting a 50 per cent women representation at all leadership levels of the party in a bid to help reduce the gender imbalance in the country.

And the party has embarked on a re-organisation exercise for all party organs that would culminate into a national conference as a way of positioning itself for the 2006 general elections.

Women affairs chairlady, Beatrice Kayuni said the former ruling party was serious about gender balance as it realised that women had a greater role to play in political leadership.

Ms Kayuni said in Kabwe at the weekend that women should wake up from their slumber and make themselves available for leadership positions instead of crying over lost opportunities.

She said in an interview after addressing some party officials at the council recreation hall that UNIP did not want female members to only contest as chairpersons in the women's committees but throughout the party leadership because they were equal partners with men.

She said women should be free to challenge men in all positions, from the section to the central committee level, because they had potential to provide leadership.

She was happy that a woman had been elected as district chairperson in Choma.

She said that was an indication that party members were ready to address the imbalance.

"I would like to urge the women to be ready to stand for any position because as a party we want to achieve the 50 per cent representation for the women at all levels apart from the women committees.

"I am urging young women to join the party because our party is the only one which takes gender issues very seriously," she said.

Ms Kayuni also urged the women to form cooperative societies, saying the party had some money for small-scale income-generating ventures for women.

And UNIP member of the central committee for special duties, Enos Hangoma said the party was positioning itself for the 2006 general elections and had, as a result, embarked on countrywide elections for lower party organs.

Mr Hangoma called on UNIP members of Parliament to place the interest of the people first and to support the Constituent Assembly motion if it was introduced in Parliament.

He said while individual members had their own rights, UNIP MPs, including those who were now ministers, should heed the party's call and vote for the establishment of a Constituent Assembly.

From: http://allafrica.com/stories/200509060639.html