NO EXCUSE FOR NOT ADOPTING WOMEN AHEAD OF 2026 ELECTIONS – NGOCC

NO EXCUSE FOR NOT ADOPTING WOMEN AHEAD OF 2026 ELECTIONS – NGOCC

The Non-Governmental Gender Organisations’ Coordinating Council (NGOCC) has urged political parties to take immediate, practical steps to boost women’s participation in Zambia’s political leadership ahead of the 2026 General Elections.

Speaking at the High-Level Women’s Leadership Conference in Lusaka yesterday, NGOCC Board Chairperson Ms Beauty Katebe said Zambia’s democracy cannot flourish while women remain underrepresented in key decision-making roles, despite forming the majority of voters, party members and community mobilisers.

Ms Katebe noted that women continue to face structural, cultural and financial obstacles, including limited access to campaign resources, inadequate party support and entrenched patriarchal norms. She added that aspiring female candidates struggle with high campaign costs and gaps in strategic capacity.

To address these challenges, NGOCC has rolled out the “Her Time Is Now” campaign, launched in late 2024 to empower women leaders and reshape access to political power. The initiative includes the “Her Time Is Now – Donation Button”, a transparent platform that allows individuals and institutions to financially support aspiring female candidates.

Ms Katebe cautioned political parties against claiming there are no capable women to adopt, stressing that many qualified women across the country are ready to lead but lack institutional backing. She urged parties to honour their gender equality commitments, adopt more women candidates and strengthen mentorship for emerging female leaders.

As the 2026 elections draw closer, she called for collective action to move the women’s participation agenda from dialogue to tangible progress.

And Speaker of the National Assembly Rt Hon Nelly B. K. Mutti also emphasised the need for deliberate action to increase women’s representation, describing equal participation as both a constitutional and moral obligation. She urged political parties to address barriers such as limited financing and political violence, noting that ongoing electoral reforms including the proportional representation system offer an opportunity to accelerate women’s inclusion in leadership.

At the same event, Minister of Lands and Natural Resources Hon. Sylvia Masebo urged aspiring female candidates to have clarity of purpose in seeking public office and to demonstrate resilience in their leadership journeys. Drawing from her own extensive political experience, she highlighted the importance of learning from both successes and setbacks.

She encouraged the candidates to be resourceful, strategically position themselves for adoption, and uphold integrity, stressing that leadership is a calling from God and should never be pursued through coercion. She further urged women to firmly reject any form of sextortion in the adoption process.

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