By CHUSA SICHONE –
THE Ministry of Local Government has projected to spend more than K5 million to implement the newly-launched 2018-2021 Gender Strategy and Implementation Plan.
The total budget of the Gender Strategy, which Local Government Minister Vincent Mwale launched on Wednesday last week, has been pegged at K5, 915, 000 over a four-year period.
The Gender Strategy seeks to operationalise the National Gender Policy and with a goal to promote a gender responsive Local Government system.
A gender responsive Local Government system was one that facilitated the provision of equal and equitable delivery of quality social services, enabling women, men, girls, boys and people living with disability to equally participate and benefit from development.
“Management teams must also require accountability for funds and time given towards capacity training in line with the ministry’s capacity development strategy. Resources for planned activities which must reflect on annual work plans must be made available and also accounted for.
“The total budget for implementing this Strategy over a four-year period is K5, 915, 000,” read the Executive Summary in part.
Responsible units or departments, including local authorities, were obliged to provide focal point persons and gender subcommittee members with the resources needed to perform their duties effectively and professionally for the effective implementation of the Gender Strategy.
The development of the 2018-2021 Gender and Implementation Plan was co-financed by the Zambian Government and that of its German counterpart through the German Technical Cooperation.