Non-Governmental Gender Organisations’ Coordinating Council (NGOCC) Board Chairperson Beauty Katebe says the government’s failure to reform the Public Order Act in 2025 was a major setback for democracy and women’s participation, especially as Zambia heads toward the 2026 General Elections.
Ms. Katebe notes that the continued enforcement of the Act restricts civic space and risks arbitrary application during the electoral period, disproportionately affecting women, civil society, and grassroots activists.
She says the year was also marked by persistently high levels of gender-based violence, with women and girls remaining the most affected.
While acknowledging amendments to the Anti-GBV Act, she notes that limited shelters, counselling services, and inadequate funding continue to undermine survivor support.
Ms. Katebe further highlights the energy crisis, prolonged load shedding, and high cost of living, which deepened economic hardship for households.
She explains that inflation and food insecurity increased risks of school dropouts, early marriages, transactional sex, and reduced access to essential services for women and girls.
Ms. Katebe further says constitutional and electoral reforms enacted in 2025 failed to address women’s historical underrepresentation in leadership.
As the country prepares for the August 13, 2026 General Elections, she stresses the need for affirmative action in constituency-based seats and the urgent operationalisation of the Gender Equity and Equality Commission to strengthen accountability and gender-responsive governance.
By Victoria Kayeye Yambani
