By JULIUS PHIRI –
FIRST Lady Esther Lungu has called on men to support and equip women as these are backbones of families.
Ms Lungu said in Chipata, Eastern Province, on Friday that women should be equipped because they held a lot of responsibilities in a home.
“There is need for men to give support to women because they are the backbone of the families. Women should be equipped because they hold a lot of responsibility (ies),” she said.

. Mrs Lungu

The First Lady, who was addressing a meeting at Luangwa Lodge, said that women were doing much better than men because they were the custodians of the families.
It was her passion to see various groups such as the women’s clubs, orphans and vulnerable children and the physically challenged were taken care of by the Government and other stakeholders.
She said it was sad to see the physically challenged being segregated in society by able-bodied persons.
Mrs Lungu said the physically challenged should not become inferior in society because they were also human beings.
“The physically challenged are complaining of being segregated by various groups, including the able-bodied persons. This discrimination should come to an end,” the First Lady said.
She said she would take the challenges facing the people to President Edgar Lungu for consideration.
Later, the First Lady told Paramount Chief Mpezeni of the Ngoni-speaking people that she thought of going back to the people to thank them after the January 20, 2015 Presidential election.
Paramount Chief Mpezeni, who spoke through his Induna George Zulu, said he was inspired by the visit of the First Lady to Eastern Province.