First Lady ESTHER LUNGU says supporting women and girls in reaching their potential will enable agricultural and rural development processes to be more effective.
She said this is because women and girls are critical agents in the fight against rural poverty and hunger.
Speaking in Shibuyunji District when she donated 400 bags of farming inputs to 50 women associations in the area, Mrs. LUNGU said it is important for all stakeholders to promote multi-sectorial response to reducing rural poverty.
She said there is need to focus on increasing women’s access to productive resources such as strengthening the capacity of rural institutions and services.
The First Lady added that government had made steady progress in increasing productive and entrepreneurial capacity of rural women.
She has cited the provision of start-up capital and equipment to women cooperatives as aimed at increasing production and value addition as one of the strides government has made in empowering women.
She said a number of women and girls in most rural areas are suffering due to non-availability of resources and services to make them compete favourably with their male folk.
The First Lady added that cases of early marriages are usually as a result of poverty and lack of financial muscle to take the girl child to school.
Mrs. LUNGU is confident that the donated farming inputs will go a long way in addressing challenges facing rural women in agriculture.
Meanwhile, Senior Chief SHAKUMBILA of the Sala people has hailed the First Lady for her gesture.
The traditional leader noted that what Mrs. Lungu has done has never happened before in his Chiefdom.
He said women empowerment is the best solution to addressing the challenges facing them in rural areas and that the gesture has come at the right time.
Chief SHAKUMBILA has further urged the First Lady to continue with goodwill gesture of empowering women as long as she remains first lady.
And District Women Association Chairperson DWAC- BRENDA KAMBOLE has also thanked Mrs. LUNGU for her goodwill.
Mrs. KAMBOLE said the women in the district are happy to receive the inputs adding that they will do their best to end poverty in their respective homes.
The farming inputs donated to the women groups are as a result of the partnership between the ESTHER LUNGU foundation trust and Export Trading Group ETG, a company specialised in manufacturing farming inputs.
And ETG Programmes Manager NYAMBE LUHILA has urged the women to put the inputs to good use.
He said the aim of the partnership is to help women achieve their potential of contributing to the national food basket and in their homes.
Mr. LUHILA said he expects the women to be up to task and ensure they produce good results in the 2017 – 2018 farming season.
He said his organisation will monitor the utilisation of the funds so as to yield the intended results.
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