Education
Source: Daily Mail
TEACHER unions are in a better position to wage a serious campaign to uplift the status and position of women and girls in the country, Education Deputy permanent secretary Christine Mayondi has said.
Officiating at the first ever Southern African Women in Education Network (SAWEN) conference in Lusaka yesterday, Ms Mayondi said teacher unions have the ability to address some of the hurdles preventing the advancement of women and girls due to their presence countrywide.
The conference attracted participants from Botswana, Malawi, Namibia, Mozambique, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
She said teacher unions must be seen in the frontline fighting the negative vices that hinder the development and advancement of women and girls.
"I'm calling upon the Zambia National Union of Teachers (ZNUT) to become a trend setter to accord our women folk more opportunities and positions of leadership in the union at all levels. As unions, you should be seen to promote gender equality by practicing what we preach," Ms Mayondi said.
Speaking earlier, ZNUT General Secretary Newman Bubala said issues of gender were cardinal to the Zambian government as evident in the creation of the gender ministry.
Mr Bubala said this shows how passionate Zambia is with the advancement of girls and women.
He said "in every teacher union in Zambia we have ensured there is a gender desk."
And SAWEN president Leah Kasaji pledged to include more women to serve in teacher union positions.
Ms Kasaji noted that if that is to be achieved there is need to all teacher unions countrywide and the region to work together.
She however said "the teacher unions will not relent but to ensure they contribute to the fight against teen pregnancies among schoolgirls."