Zambian First Lady urges women to demand safe sex

By Violet Mengo

Zambian first Lady Maureen Mwanawasa is encouraging women to demand safer sex from their partners, not negotiate for it. Ms Mwanawasa recently made the statement at the launch of the FC2 female condom campaign at the Lusaka City Market, handing out condoms to the public.


"Negotiating for safer sex is a term that has become accepted world wide, yet, it puts a woman at the mercy of a man," Ms Mwanawasa told the Lusaka market crowd. "I do not believe that a woman should negotiate for safer sex, but demand safer sex."

Ms Mwanawasa added that safer sex is achievable if leaders, and women themselves, take up the challenge. Ms Mwanawasa's statements point out how important women's empowerment and gender equality is to reducing the escalating numbers of women living with HIV.

With World AIDS Day just less than a month away, the new product is a welcome addition to the market in the country. Zambia, like other countries in the Sub-Saharan Africa, is struggling to cope with the impact of HIV/AIDS. Women are the hardest hit.

At the end of 2005, UNAIDS and the World Health Organisation estimated that in Zambia 17 percent of people aged 15-49 years old were living with HIV or AIDS. Of these million adults, 57 percent were women. Young women aged 15-19 are around six times more likely to be living with HIV than are males of the same age.

One of the reasons for greater vulnerability is gender inequality. Women disproportionately bear the burden of poverty and continue to be victims of widespread and persistent discrimination in all areas of life. They are also the primary agents of child welfare and put their lives at risk every time they become pregnant.

Zambian gender activists hold that women also play an indispensable role in the management of natural resources, economic development, and education. They have the right to gain as much as men from the benefits brought by globalisation. If not addressed, HIV/AIDS will make it even harder for women to play their role in the development of the country.

The first lady took time hand out free samples of the female condom and talk to the pressing market crowd, made of mostly women, to explain the advantages of using protective measures during sex. Her actions should be an example in the country, and the region as a whole, to inspire both individuals and leaders to ensure protection of women.

"Our first lady must be commended for the job well done, it is the first to happen in Zambia where the first lady goes to mix with women from the densely populated areas and distribute the condoms herself, women must emulate her," said one of the recipients of condoms at the market.

In Zambia, women often have very limited opportunities to demand safer sex, due to unequal power relationships within relationships. Interventions are rarely designed to be more user-friendly, accessible and available to them. Designing products made for women is one way to assist women to demand safer sex.

Producers of the newly launched FC2 condom say that it is a better version of the other female condoms currently on the market and urge women to take advantage of the product.

The UN's Population Fund (UNFPA) resident representative Deji Popoola, who was present at the launch and distribution of female condoms, said the condoms would be available on the market. Mr Popoola called on men to support women's rights and gender equality, especially when it come reproductive health.

Two hundred thousands condoms are available for free distribution. Yet, urban women are at a greater advantage, as such things as condoms are much more easily found in the cities and towns. For rural women, these condoms are unlikely to be within easy reach.

Ms Mwanawasa, who is also the president of the Organisation of African First Ladies (OAFLA) against HIV/AIDS, has taken the lead in empowering women to stand up for their rights. OAFLA's key strategy is to promote the development of effective strategies to empower women and address issues of gender inequality, as well as challenge gender norms that predisposed women to infection.

Unless governments and service providers address these gender inequalities, it will be difficult for women to protect themselves. First Lady Maureen Mwanawasa has pointed out that it is time for women "to demand the protection and equality that is their right."

By Violet Mengo. Ms Mengo writes for the Daily Mail in Zambia and is a member of the Gender and Media Southern African (GEMSA) Network.







© afrol News / Gender Links

UN, UNZA partner for climate change schooling

By Violet Mengo

A United Nations agency working in Zambia has partnered with the University of Zambia to address climate change by including climate change in human development studies. The joint venture has seen several activities being undertaken, among them a seminar for students of human development. For University of Zambia (UNZA) students, it was a great opportunity to learn more about climate change, the world’s most topical subject currently topping the agenda of most global meetings.   A short documentary on the impact of climate change was enough to trigger discussions on the effects of climate change, most of which have no immediate solutions.   The documentary filmed in December 2009 prior to the 15th session of the Conference of Parties, which took place in Denmark highlighted some of the problems Zambia is facing as a result of climate change. It made specific reference to Southern Province, once the country’s food basket, which has now become perpetually prone to drought, floods and deforestation. Virgin land, where trees can grow undisturbed alongside natural vegetation, is slowly being depleted and becoming bare, rivers are drying up and farmers face difficulties in growing crops because of constant changes in weather patterns. The documentary showed that changes in rainfall affect planting and harvesting periods and result in hunger and poverty, particularly among people who depend entirely on agriculture for their survival. It also depicted families directly affected by the disruptions in weather patterns and how they are adapting to the changes. As the students watched the documentary in silence, their faces were getting gloomier by the minute. There is no doubt that climate change has affected Zambia in so many ways. As the students focused on the documentary, lots of unanswered questions were flashing in their minds. This explained why one student, Given Mulenga’s mother had become bankrupt. A loan invested in a farm cannot be recouped because the rains kept washing away the crops. And Aaron Shawa, a student from Mwinilunga in North Western Province is not sure of completing his studies as his peasant farmer father can no longer support him financially. Income from farming has dwindled beyond comprehension. However, according to UNDP, not all hope is lost, hence the need to involve students in efforts to address climate change, with the hope that future generations might have a different tale for their children. The partnership between UNDP and UNZA is solely intended to ensure development and enhancement of preparedness for natural calamities. The partnership also aims at developing capacity among students, to empower them to make beneficial choices about their lives. UNZA Dean of Humanities Vincent Chanda said climate change threatens to erode human freedom and limit choices. Mr Chanda said poor people across the globe are already being forced to cope with the impact of climate change. “The effect of changes in weather patterns is preventing people from building a better life for themselves and their children, “he said. UNDP Country Director Viola Morgan said although most countries are off-track in meeting the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015, a lot has been achieved by many others. She, however, said climate change is hampering efforts to deliver the MDGs promise. “Looking into the future, the danger is that it will halt and then reverse progress built up over generations, not just in cutting extreme poverty, but in health, nutrition, education and other areas,”she said. Ms Morgan said the effect of climate change will constrain Zambia’s ability to reach its development objectives under the MDGs. UNDP is the UN’s principle provider of development advice, advocacy and grant support to developing nations, including Zambia. With 166 country offices, the UNDP has long enjoyed the trust and confidence of governments and non-governmental organisations in many parts of the developing and developed world. Ms Morgan said the agency’s support for human development puts partnership at the centre of all aspects of its work. In 2006, UNDP introduced a course at UNZA to promote the human development paradigm. The objective of the course was to introduce the relevant issues of the human development model to students to help deepen and expand students’ understanding of and familiarity with the concept of sustainable human development, teaching students the theoretical foundations of human development and raising their awareness about how it relates to real life policy issues in the sphere. “Human development is a complex process, which requires the participation of many different players,” she said. Ms Morgan said UNDP recognises that universities harbour significant pools of knowledge and excellence, which can be tapped to promote the human development standard. The UN agency’s expectations are that in the long run, national policy dialogue on human development would increasingly involve more appropriately equipped participants who have benefitted from the course. “With this in mind, we are planning to extend this partnership to other higher learning institutions. Discussions have already begun with Mulungushi and Copperbelt universities,” she said. In 2008, UNDP adopted a climate change policy, which presents new approaches for supporting efforts of developing countries and vulnerable groups to scale up mitigation and adaptation action and successfully meet the challenges of climate change and attain MDGs. Ms Morgan said climate change is directly linked to human activity and everyone should adopt a Chinese proverb: One generation plants a tree, the next generation gets the shade. She said the manner in which climate is dealt with today has a great bearing on future generations and human development. “Climate change has become more and more visible to all of us, with its impact affecting human development. The importance of this seminar cannot be overemphasised,” she said. Ms Morgan said it was important that the students found time to learn and share information dealing with climate change. Ministry of Tourism, Environment and Natural Resources Climate Change Facilitation Unit technical coordinator Professor Prem Jain said in his presentation of the science of climate change that the earth is warming up.

Youth take on climate change

By Violet Mengo
Inspired by the International Youth Conference in Denmark in December 2009, climate change ambassadors from selected schools in Zambia convened at Mulungushi International Conference Centre for the first children’s national conference on climate change. The young ambassadors want children to voice their concerns about various issues affecting them. VIOLET MENGO attended the conference and now reports:

THE saying: The early bird catches the worm is applicable to various situations. In many ways, it also suits 14-year-old Luyando Katenda who is already mentoring his peers on climate change.
Luyando is determined to make a positive contribution to addressing the effects of climate change in Zambia because he is passionate about conserving the environment.
Being one of the four climate change ambassadors in Zambia, Luyando always finds time to talk to groups of fellow pupils at his local school (Chimwemwe Basic School in Lusaka) about the importance of conserving nature.

His wish is that more children could become effective ambassadors on climate change in particular, which is threatening to wreak havoc on poor countries. He is part of the team which facilitated a national conference for children in Lusaka.

Every Tuesday and Thursday, he uses part of his afternoon break to discuss climate change and the environment with his peers as part of efforts to increase awareness on the subject.
“My exposure at the youth international conference in Denmark last year has given me the confidence to share information and remind ourselves of our role in addressing climate change,” he said.
Luyando describes the time he spends with his friends as exciting. He has learnt basic science, although he acknowledges that some scientific terms on climate change are still difficult to translate into local languages.

At Chimwemwe Basic School, Luyando is well-known as an environmental activist who talks to just about any youngster he comes across, on the environment and climate.
Luyando says more people need to share what they know about the climate and learn whatever they can to help them contribute to saving their planet.

“No man is an island, we are all connected to each other and to animals. The time I spend with my friends is helping us to understand science more and develop ideas on how we can contribute to saving the earth,” he said.

The international conference in Denmark was about empowering young people from across the globe with information which could help to intensify efforts to address climate change.
Luyando said in an effort to make the world a better place to live in, inhabitants should go the extra mile to make their own contribution as individuals and as communities.

“Changing the world does not require us to do huge tasks. We can even do simple work, individually, like telling our friends about climate change or picking up garbage in our neighbourhoods. Adverse climatic changes also affect our lives, so it is up to us to make a difference,” he said.

His aim is to get the message of climate change to everyone, especially to the grassroots, to help them understand their environment and become part of the solution.
There is no doubt that children are the most vulnerable to the effects of climate change, as all sorts of disasters threaten their life span. The more endangered the world is, the more the future of children is threatened.

It was against this backdrop that UNICEF, partnering with the Ministry of Tourism, Environment and Natural Resources organised the national children’s climate change conference.
The three-day conference was aimed at educating the children on climate change and environmental sustainability to inspire them to become environmental activists.

The conference was held as part of the resolutions of the youth international climate change conference in Denmark in December 2009 where children agreed to be agents of change in their respective nations, by making a contribution to mitigating the effects of climate change.

Zambian children participated actively in organising the conference which scores of children from across the globe attended. UNICEF Zambia sponsored four children to represent Zambia.
It was at this conference that Luyando and three others participated in several activities to help them become environmental ambassadors.

The four children won a UNICEF competition which guaranteed their participation in the international youth conference. Luyando said it was important for children to be involved in addressing the effects of climate change so that they can grow up with a better understanding of prudent environmental management.
He said the only way to make the climate everyone’s business is to engage children at a very early age and talk about it more on radio, TV and other mediums of communication.
Sixteen-year-old Kasaka Katengo is another child ambassador who is eager to add her voice to saving the environment.
Kasaka said it is high time people realised that the existence of mankind on earth is becoming increasingly threatened. Everyone must be sensitised on curtailing activities which increase carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere like burning bushes, improper gas disposal, non-recycling of waste and deforestation among others.

“Climate change has become a new reality with deadly effects. The ecosystem, agriculture, water needs and supply, and food production are all adversely affected,” Kasaka said.
Climate change has a cumulative effect on natural resources and the balance of nature. It is clear that Zambian children like Luyando and Kasaka are aware that Zambia, like many other developing nations has contributed very little to the emission of carbon gases into the atmosphere which cause negative climate changes.

They also know that African countries and other developing nations are more affected by climatic changes because they do not have the means to adapt to the effects of climate change.
Minister of Tourism, Environment and Natural Resources Catherine Namugala said at the conference that children are the future of any society and are entitled to participate in decisions affecting them, be it negotiations on climate change or adaptation and mitigation measures.
Ms Namugala said young people are naturally innovative, vibrant and determined and they would be a critical voice on climate change both within Zambia and at international level.

She said children are affected by the effects of climate change—prolonged droughts or floods which hamper food production, resulting in increased nutritional insecurity and deficiency.
“Children in rural areas help parents to undertake chores like fetching water and firewood but with climate changes having a direct impact on these resources and making them scarce, the time spent on these tasks will be longer and school time will be affected,” she said.

Ms Namugala said women and girls are often the ones who fetch water and are forced to walk the extra distance when wells run dry. For children, this is done at the expense of schoolwork and play, both of which are critical for their development.

The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) report released in 2009 says climate change could leave an extra 25 million children malnourished by 2050, unless there is heavy investment in adaptive measures.

The report predicts that climate change will eliminate much of the gains achieved in the nutrition of children.

UNICEF Eastern and Southern Africa (ESARO) regional director Elhadj Amadou Gueye said combating climate change must be a concern for children everywhere.
Mr Gueye said children in Zambia have the potential to become agents of real change on various issues affecting them.

“It is important that children are able to discuss and suggest measures to help their country adapt to climate change and mitigate its impact,” he said.
Mr Gueye said children can take a major role in reminding their own families and communities of the importance of these measures.

Chief Macha of the Tonga people of Choma, who is an ardent climate change activist, said there can be no better time to hold the children’s conference than now when Zambia has already started experiencing floods and droughts.

He said climate change is real. Scientists have proved that the earth is warming up and climate change can have devastating consequences on human life, flora and fauna.