By ADRIAN MWANZA  –
TWO Chiefs in Eastern Province have pledged to eradicate child marriages and other forms of gender based violence in their chiefdoms.
Chief Nyamphande of Misolo village said the area had in the past reported high cases of child marriages.
He said the trend had been going on for some time but that people’s views were slowly changing after the launch of the HeForShe project in Petauke District.
President Edgar Lungu officiated at the launch at Chief Nyamphande’s palace recently.
Chief Nyamphande said this during the launch of the Misolo Village One Stop GBV Centre aimed at eradicating all forms of GBV in the area.
He said the Government and United Nations (UN) funded project was a clear indication that Government was spearheading the fight against gender inequality through projects like the HeForShe.
Chief Nyamphande said chiefs played an important role in changing people’s perspectives because they were influential people in society.
And Chieftainess Nyanje said the opening of the one stop shop GBV centre in her chiefdom was a plus as cases of GBV and early marriages were rampant.
Chieftainess Nyanje thanked the UN for donating bicycles to 30 members of Nyanje who were trained to carry out various tasks at the one stop GBV centre in her area.
Msanzala member of Parliament Joseph Lungu said the initiative would empower women and sensitise men on the importance of respecting women’s rights.
Colonel Lungu said parliamentarians were also spearheading the fight against gender inequalities in Zambia.
He said the pilot project launched by the President was a milestone and that other countries would soon follow suit in promoting the HeForShe project in their respective countries.
Col. Lungu urged some female law makers who were present to promote similar projects like the ones in Misolo and Nyanje.
“I would like to encourage my fellow female MPs to introduce such projects in their constituencies in order for the fight against GBV and other forms of gender inequalities to be won,” he said.