NGOCC advocates for women access to land

SYLVESTER CHISHIMBA writes THE Non-Governmental Gender Organisations Coordinating Committee (NGOCC) board chairperson Mary Mulenga says the land ownership empowerment of women will make them effectively contribute to national development. Ms Mulenga says NGOCC is greatly focused on the empowerment of women in various sectors especially land ownership in the country. She disclosed that NGOCC is trying to find ways in which women will access the 30 percent of land ownership in the country. Speaking during a courtesy call paid on Chipata City Council Mayor Sinoya Mwale, Ms Mulenga said NGOCC is in Eastern Province to sensitise the traditional leadership on how to promote land ownership among women as an economic empowerment. “We are here in the province to talk about how we can work with various stakeholders in making breakthroughs on how women can access traditional land. We want women to be empowered with land ownership especially that it is said there is 30 percent of land that must go to women in the country,” she said. Ms Mulenga said NGOCC will speak on behalf of the voiceless women in the country to ensure that they have access and own land. And NGOCC executive director Engwase Mwale said the survey undertaken by her institution in 2017 and 2018 in selected chiefdoms reveal that a number of married women were being left out in accessing land. Ms Mwale said NGOCC found that traditional leaders opted to empower single women and men with land than the married women following the idea that they were an appendage to the houses they were coming from. She said most women feel marginalised when it comes to accessing land and cannot talk for themselves. “We are here to talk to various stakeholders especially traditional rulers and local authorities to help in spearheading the sensitisation of women in land ownership,” Ms Mwale said. Meanwhile, the Mayor, Sinoya Mwale, promised the NGOCC delegation that his office will work with various stakeholders to ensure that women have access to land ownership. The Mayor said he is going to play a proactive role to ensure that women have equal access to land ownership like the menfolk. Mr Mwale noted that the advocacy for women to access land is very important because women are capable of achieving greater achievements that will benefit the whole nation. He encouraged women in Eastern Province and the country as a whole to support each other in all that they do. The Sun