By SYLVESTER MWALE –
LOCAL Government Service Commission chairperson Christah Kalulu has challenged women to take advantage of President Edgar Lungu’s promotion of gender equality by taking up positions that are dominated by men.
Ms Kalulu said the womenfolk should feel challenged and use the prevailing environment to take up positions in fields that had been predominantly known to be for men.
She was speaking on Monday when she officially opened a two-week training for women fire-fighters at the National Fire Service Training School in Kabwe.
The course is aimed at empowering women fire-fighters who have been drawn from various councils across the country.
The fire brigade services started in Zambia in 1953 but the first female only joined in 1980.
Until now, the country has no woman who has risen to the rank of chief fire officer in the country, with Kapiri Mposhi-based Veronica Kunda, the first woman to join the service in 1980, being the only woman holding the position of officer-in-charge.
“This then becomes a timely challenge to all the young women here to aspire for hard work towards filling these key positions in fire services.
“As Government we want to ensure that there is equitable distribution of resources, but as women, you should rise to the challenge and we hope that this course will bring a lot of positive change,” Ms Kalulu said.
She said that Mr Lungu had demonstrated his commitment to women empowerment as demonstrated through the appointment of several women to key decision-making positions.
Earlier, Kabwe Town Clerk Ronald Daka said the fire-fighting service in Zambia lacked modern equipment to swiftly respond to emergencies.
He also appealed to the Government to consider training fire-fighters abroad in order for them to acquire necessary skills that would help them respond effectively to emergencies.
Mr Daka said the Kabwe Municipal Council fire brigade, which also covers Kapiri Mposhi and Chibombo districts, last year responded to 57 fire calls and 77 special service calls, which included accidents and drowning.
National Fire Service Training School commandant Yona Mwale said women were not recruited as fire-fighters because of the occupational culture that was exclusionary, and unequal employment practice in the hiring and promoting of women.