28 May 2011
SECRETARY to the Cabinet Joshua Kanganja has said the Government remains committed and has fully embraced the gender mainstreaming strategy as a means to achieving equitable development and ultimately as a key instrument to contribute to the achievement of the Vision 2030.
Dr Kanganja said this when he launched the Strategy for Engendering the Public Service and the National Gender Monitoring and Evaluation Plan in Lusaka yesterday.
Dr Kanganja said the launch of the two documents would strengthen the Government’s resolve in the implementation of the National Gender Policy and that the aforementioned documents were tools designed to accelerate gender mainstreaming within the public service.
He acknowledged issuing a circular in 2006 appointing directors of planning or their equivalent in all line ministries and their respective agencies as focal point persons to coordinate gender mainstreaming in their respective organisations owing to the numerous challenges encountered in a bid to promote gender equality.
Dr Kanganja added that the Beijing Declaration and Plan for Action had called on all member states and other stakeholders for the promotion of gender equality and empowerment of women in all sectors.
It was with that background and also in response to variousinternational and regional conventions and strategies towards the promotion of gender equity and equality that Zambia had developed and adopted the Strategy for Engendering the Public Service.
Dr Kanganja said the development of the National GenderMonitoring and Evaluation Plan by Gender in Development Division (GIDD) would not only help in monitoring progress but it would provide the necessary information on trends in gender and development to enhance gender responsive policy development, implementation and evaluation.
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) country director Viola Morgan, in acknowledging Zambia’s successes and failures on gender-related matters and reaffirmed continued support to the Government and the country as a whole to strengthen national institutions that may be required to ensure attainment of gender equality and equity.
And in congratulating the Government and GIDD in particular for developing the documents, Ms Morgan was hopeful that the launch would lead to a sustained effort to mainstream and monitor gender issues across the public sector for the country’s benefit and called for active implementation, accountability and commitment as they were key ingredients for success, besides urging concerted efforts among various stakeholders.
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