NGOCC WARNS WOMEN STILL LEFT OUT OF CABINET
Gender body congratulates five women ministers but says Zambia remains far from equal representation, with women holding only 12.5 per cent of ministerial positions.
By Francis Maingaila ♥️
Lusaka, Zambia24 — October 29, 2026 —
The Non-governmental Gender Organisations’ Coordinating Council (NGOCC) has warned that Zambia is making little progress towards gender equality in political leadership, with women occupying only five of the 40 Cabinet and Provincial Minister positions following the August 13, 2026 General Elections.
NGOCC Executive Director Anne Mbewe-Anamela said the organisation congratulated the five women appointed to ministerial positions but expressed concern that their appointment represented only 12.5 per cent of the total positions.
The five women are Olive Clara Chiboola, Minister of Fisheries and Livestock; Dr Caroline Chanda Katotobwe, Minister of Trade and Exports; Brenda Tambatamba, Minister of Mines and Minerals Development; Princess Kasune, Minister of Tourism; and Sheal Mulyata, Minister of Community Development and Social Services.
NGOCC expressed confidence that the ministers would contribute positively to their respective sectors and advance the Grow Zambia Agenda, reaffirming its commitment to supporting them in carrying out their responsibilities.
However, the organisation said the overall representation of women remained unacceptably low, with women occupying five of the 30 Cabinet positions, representing 16.7 per cent, while none of the 10 Provincial Minister positions had been given to a woman.
The organisation also raised concern over the exclusion of women with disabilities from the appointments and the limited representation of women who entered Parliament through Proportional Representation.
Of the 26 women who entered Parliament through Proportional Representation, only one has been appointed to a ministerial position, while seven of the 11 available presidential nomination slots have so far gone to men.
NGOCC said the figures demonstrated that Zambia was not making meaningful progress towards gender parity, despite commitments to inclusive governance and equal representation.
Comparing the appointments with those made after the 2021 General Elections, the organisation said women then occupied four of the 25 Cabinet positions and one of the 10 Provincial Minister positions, representing 14.3 per cent of the combined positions.
Five years later, the number of women in Cabinet and provincial ministerial positions has increased only marginally, despite the expansion of Cabinet from 25 to 30 positions.
NGOCC said the situation reflected persistent structural barriers affecting women at every stage of political participation, including adoption, nomination, election and appointment.
The organisation noted that women won only about one in seven constituency seats, further narrowing the pool of women available for ministerial appointments.
It said rigid political structures and policy frameworks that failed to provide a level playing field continued to disadvantage women seeking leadership positions.
NGOCC further observed that, 62 years after independence, Zambia could not afford a leadership structure that excluded a significant proportion of its population.
Women constitute more than half of the country’s population but remain underrepresented in senior government positions, a situation the organisation said was inconsistent with Zambia’s commitments to inclusive development and gender equality.
The organisation cited Zambia’s obligations under the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), the African Union Protocol on the Rights of Women in Africa and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Gender Protocol.
NGOCC said equal representation was not a favour to women but a democratic imperative that reflected the country’s commitment to inclusive development.
The organisation called on President Hakainde Hichilema to take deliberate steps to increase women’s representation in future public appointments, particularly in the remaining four presidentially nominated Member of Parliament positions.
It also urged the President to consider greater representation of women in appointments to positions such as Permanent Secretaries, District Commissioners, diplomatic missions, commissions and boards.
NGOCC said deliberate action in these areas would demonstrate Zambia’s commitment to its international obligations and promote gender-responsive leadership across public institutions.
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