NGOCC Calls for Women to Be Given Winnable Seats in 2026 Elections

 

                                              (NGOCC Board Chairperson Beauty Katebe)

By Alain kabinda

Non-governmental Gender Organizations’ Coordinating Council has urged political parties in Zambia to honour their commitments to gender inclusion by adopting more women as candidates in the run-up to the country’s general elections scheduled for 13 August 2026.

In a statement issued to Daily News by NGOCC Board Chairperson Ms. Beauty Katebe, stated that political parties currently selecting candidates for nomination must act transparently and decisively to ensure women are not left out of the electoral process.

Ms. Katebe has reminded political parties that many had previously signed pledges committing themselves to increase women’s participation in politics and specifically to ensure that at least 30 percent of adopted candidates are women. And this commitment should be reflected in the ongoing adoption process, rather than remaining a symbolic promise.

The organization expressed concern that, despite repeated calls for inclusion, women have historically been marginalized during candidate selection, often being pushed aside in favour of male candidates. It said genuine inclusion should go beyond numbers and should ensure that women are adopted in constituencies where they stand a realistic chance of winning.

According to Ms. Katebe called on the political parties must avoid the practice of assigning female candidates to constituencies widely regarded as unwinnable while reserving competitive seats for male contenders. Also women who have worked within communities, built support bases, and demonstrated leadership should be given equal opportunities to contest in stronghold constituencies.

She further also stressed that there is no shortage of qualified women available for adoption, noting that lists of capable female aspirants have already been shared with political parties. This should remove any justification for excluding women from the candidate selection process.

Zambia’s recent political history has shown low representation of women in elected office. Ms. Katebe also pointed out that women accounted for less than 15 percent of members in the recently dissolved parliament and only 7 percent of local government representatives, figures it described as unacceptable for a country committed to gender equality.

The organization further warned against relying on the proportional representation system as the main avenue for women’s participation. It argued that proportional representation seats should complement women’s participation in the 226 first-past-the-post constituencies, not replace it.

NGOCC said limiting women to proportional representation seats risks reinforcing structural exclusion under the guise of inclusion. The council emphasized that Zambia has regional and international obligations to promote equal political participation, including commitments under the Southern African Development Community Protocol on Gender and Development and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, which advocate for 50 percent representation.

As political parties continue their adoption processes ahead of the August polls, NGOCC said it will closely monitor and publicly report on candidate selections by gender, constituency type, and party strongholds.

The organization has called on all political parties to use the current adoption period as an opportunity to change the country’s political landscape by placing women in winnable seats and delivering on the promise of inclusive democracy.