A senior Zambian government official has said that some political parties were asking prospective female candidates for sexual favours in exchange for selection ahead of August's general election. 'I am going to appeal to all female aspiring candidates to ensure that they record all these cases,' Mainga Kabika, the civil service head of the gender office in the presidency, said on Monday. She did not name the political parties involved.
Zambia has a big gender imbalance in national politics, with around 15% of MPs being women. Their under-representation at leadership level reflects 'deep-rooted cultural and structural barriers,' as highlighted by a statement from the president's office last year.
Kabika was addressing a conference of state prosecutors when she revealed that women had been reaching out to her regarding the unacceptable demands they faced. 'I can confirm to you right now that I am actually receiving a lot of messages; some of them are already on record... they are reporting that they are already being asked for sexual favours in exchange for adoption [as candidates], and this is unacceptable,' she stated.
This troubling trend is said to discourage many women from entering politics. Beauty Katebe, who chairs the board of the Non-Governmental Gender Organisations Coordinating Council, emphasized that many women have faced what she described as 'sextortion' during the nomination process and urged those affected to speak out despite the associated stigma. She called for a fast-track court to swiftly handle such allegations, stressing the need for harsher laws to deter sexual harassment.
In its statement acknowledging gender disparities, the president's office noted a slow progression toward female representation in politics, citing that only 28% of civil service directors are women, and out of 36 CEOs of state-owned enterprises, only five are female. The general election in Zambia is set for August 13, where citizens will vote for their next president, MPs, councillors, and council chairs.
Zambia has a big gender imbalance in national politics, with around 15% of MPs being women. Their under-representation at leadership level reflects 'deep-rooted cultural and structural barriers,' as highlighted by a statement from the president's office last year.
Kabika was addressing a conference of state prosecutors when she revealed that women had been reaching out to her regarding the unacceptable demands they faced. 'I can confirm to you right now that I am actually receiving a lot of messages; some of them are already on record... they are reporting that they are already being asked for sexual favours in exchange for adoption [as candidates], and this is unacceptable,' she stated.
This troubling trend is said to discourage many women from entering politics. Beauty Katebe, who chairs the board of the Non-Governmental Gender Organisations Coordinating Council, emphasized that many women have faced what she described as 'sextortion' during the nomination process and urged those affected to speak out despite the associated stigma. She called for a fast-track court to swiftly handle such allegations, stressing the need for harsher laws to deter sexual harassment.
In its statement acknowledging gender disparities, the president's office noted a slow progression toward female representation in politics, citing that only 28% of civil service directors are women, and out of 36 CEOs of state-owned enterprises, only five are female. The general election in Zambia is set for August 13, where citizens will vote for their next president, MPs, councillors, and council chairs.
