•ZAMBIA’S High Commissioner to South Africa Emmanuel Mwamba (right), United Kingdom parliamentarian Baroness Elizabeth Barker, regional Health and AIDS Initiative for Southern Africa (RHAISA) advocacy, monitoring and evaluation manager Onias Hlungwani, and parliamentary relations manager Heather Alcock, during a meeting at the High Commissioner’s office in Pretoria on Tuesday.

By SYLVESTER MWALE –

ZAMBIA’S High Commissioner to South Africa Emmanuel Mwamba has said President Edgar Lungu has demonstrated his commitment of improving the status of the marginalised by appointing women in decision-making positions.
Mr Mwamba said Mr Lungu had shown that he was ready to help the underprivileged in society by embarking on an ambitious agenda of empowering women.
The envoy was speaking when United Kingdom (UK) Member of Parliament Baroness Elizabeth Barker paid a courtesy call on him at his office in Pretoria.
This is according to a statement released yesterday by Zambia’s High Commission Press Secretary Nicky Shabolyo.
Ms Barker will be in Zambia next week as part of her tour of selected African countries under the auspices of the Volunteer Services Organisation (VSO) International.
She was accompanied by parliamentary relations manager Heather Alcock and regional Health and AIDS Initiative for Southern Africa (RHAISA) advocacy, monitoring and evaluation manager Onias Hlungwani.
“The President’s desire to see a society represented by more women in key positions has been well-defined through his appointment of Zambia’s first female Vice-President, several females at Cabinet and
deputy ministerial level, and Government departments and institutions,” he said.
Mr Mwamba was glad that VSO had identified local communities as key partners in their projects, as this would ensure that beneficiaries received the right kind of support.
He said it was important for the donor community to understand the culture or customs of the intended beneficiaries to avoid wastage of resources.