Women for Change is coordinating consultations in the African region on the Istanbul 2nd Principle: Embody Gender Equality and Equity while promoting women and girls’ rights. The consultations are being conducted through phone interviews and answering to a survey questionnaire that you can download from this sites' download section. In addition, a regional consultation workshop has been planned to be held from 7 to 8 April 2011 in Lusaka.
Women for Change (WfC) successfully launched The Zambia We Want Campaign on 17 February 2010. The event that was attended by over 1500 people from all walks of life saw citizens demanding that WfC spread the Campaign to all parts of the country as soon as possible.
Since 1992, Women for Change has been working with youths, especially girls in remote rural areas of Zambia, on social and economic empowerment. Over 600 youths have benefited from this programme. This time around, 20 youths (10 girls and 10 boys) from western Province of Zambia have been empowered with life skills in Metal Fabrication, Construction and Brick-laying. The graduation ceremony will take place this coming Friday, the 5th of February 2010, in Mongu. You invited to this event.
Women for Change would like to invite civil society organisations, academicians, civil servants, students, diplomatic corps and the general public to the launch of the ZAMBIA WE WANT CAMPAIGN. The campaign is aimed at developing a culture and mechanism of a people-led and focused social, economic and political development. The campaign is also aimed at promoting a culture of citizenry participation in governance and development processes.
The launch will be at Mulungushi Conference Centre, on the 17th of February 2010. The time for the launch is 09:00 hours to 12:00 hours. Attend and have a say on the Zambia you want.
Rosemary Mtonga of Muzamu village, in Chief Magodi’s area, Lundazi is commending Women for Change over what it has done to her and many others in the village in uplifting their standards and giving them hope for the future.
Rosemary says, “Unlike many other organizations that have been to their area and cheating people and losing a lot of money in registration fees and other contributions without any benefits, Women for Change have come with practical steps to improve people’s lives in the area.”
“A girl aged 16 years got married. She found it had to carry out home chores and would always wish she was in school whenever she saw her friends going to school in uniforms” narrates a Mr. Mtonga of Chinkhamu Area Association in Lundazi.
Fortunately for her, when Women for Change came into the area, the girl attended the first gender sensitisation session held by staff and friends who had accepted the message of Women for Change and immediately made up her mind to divorce.
She had only stayed in marriage for three months. She divorced and went back to her parents where she joined a youth group under the area association and was able to participate in activities to empower youths.
Women for Change and its Executive Director Emily Joy Sikazwe have been awarded the Gender Torch intended to spark renewed interest and sustained action to achieve the third United Nations Millennium Development Goal (MDG) of promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment by 2015.
Community members in Mwase Mphangwe Chiefdom in Lundazi, Eastern Province of Zambia, have resolved to promote gender equality through ‘mphala,’ which is some sort of a small gathering for men and boys in the villages, where they discuss social issues informally especially in the evenings.
Women for Change has established a Training Unit that will be providing affordable training in gender, human rights,advocacy,leadership and particpatory methodologies for other institutions and organisations.
Women for Change (WfC), in conjunction with the traditional leaders in the region, will launch the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Council for Traditional Leaders.
