Traditional Leaders in North-Western Province Commit to Champion Women’s Participation in Local Governance
Traditional Leaders in North-Western Province Commit to Champion Women’s Participation in Local Governance
Traditional leaders in North-Western Province have pledged to champion women’s participation in local governance and leadership, following an engagement convened by the Local Government Association of Zambia (LGAZ) under the Partnerships for Municipal Innovation – Women in Local Leadership (PMI-WILL) Project. The event took place yesterday afternoon on 13th September 2025 at Kansanshi Hotel in Solwezi.
The workshop, supported by the Government of Canada through Global Affairs Canada (GAC) and implemented in partnership with the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM), brought together traditional leaders, senior government officials, and local authority representatives to deliberate on the role of cultural leadership in advancing women’s representation in decision-making.
In his keynote address, LGAZ Vice President for North-western, Councillor Presley Makayi, described the engagement as a significant milestone for the Association and a reflection of its growing partnership with traditional leaders in driving inclusive governance.
“Women currently occupy only 7.9 percent of elective positions at the local government level, which means their perspectives remain underrepresented in key decisions that affect communities,” Councillor Makayi stated. “We therefore look to you, our royal highnesses, to help us shift these cultural and societal norms that hinder women’s political participation.”
He further commended the Canadian Government for its continued support through the PMI-WILL Project, which seeks to strengthen local authorities’ capacity to deliver gender-responsive and inclusive services while creating enabling environments for women and girls to thrive as leaders.
The engagement was attended by several distinguished royal highnesses, including Senior Chief Mujimanzovu of Mushindamo, Senior Chief Ndungu and Senior Chief Ishindi of Zambezi, Senior Chief Museli and Chief Mumena of Kalumbila, Senior Chief Sailunga of Mwinilunga, a representative of Senior Chief Kalilele and Chieftainess Chikola of Mushindamo, as well as a representative of Senior Chief Sikufele of Manyinga.
Also in attendance were North-Western Provincial Permanent Secretary, Col. (Rtd) Wishikoti Katambi, Solwezi Mayor, Councillor Remmy Kalepa, Kabwe Mayor, Councillor Patrick Chishala, who is also a Gender Champion and member of the LGAZ Gender Advocacy Task Force and Solwezi Town Clerk, Mr. Stanley Mbewe, among other dignitaries.
During deliberations, the traditional leaders reflected on the persistent barriers that limit women’s participation in leadership, such as entrenched cultural norms, lack of financial support, and political violence and agreed to use their influence to promote a more inclusive governance landscape.
The Chiefs made the following key resolutions:
1. Strengthen Networking Among Leaders: The traditional leaders urged LGAZ to enhance networking platforms that bring together both male and female leaders to promote mentorship, collaboration, and knowledge exchange.
2. Advocate for Constitutional and Institutional Reforms: They called on the Association to engage government to propose constitutional reforms that include intentional clauses aimed at enhancing women’s participation in political leadership. Additionally, they encouraged efforts to depoliticize local authorities to allow for greater citizen engagement and inclusivity.
3. Support Community Sensitisation Initiatives: The traditional leaders committed to supporting the Association in undertaking outreach and awareness initiatives aimed at addressing socio-cultural barriers that discourage women from participating in leadership.
4. Engage Political Parties: They further urged the Association to work closely with political parties to promote the adoption of more female candidates, provide financial support to women aspirants, and actively address the issue of political violence during elections.
5. Encourage Solidarity Among Women and Media Engagement: The leaders called on women to support fellow women candidates and those already serving in leadership roles. They also encouraged the media in North-Western Province to integrate reporting on gender equality and inclusion in their programming.
In concluding the meeting, Councillor Makayi reaffirmed LGAZ’s commitment to continue engaging traditional leaders across all provinces to build a more inclusive, equitable, and gender-responsive local government system
