‘THIS PARLIAMENT WORRIES ME’ – IMBOELA
National Democratic Congress (NDC) president Saboi Imboela has expressed concern over the state of Zambia’s Parliament, saying the growing number of women in leadership will mean little if they have no real influence on decisions affecting the country.
“This Parliament worries me,” Imboela said, warning that Zambia must strengthen its democracy if women are to have a meaningful place in national leadership.
She said women’s participation should go beyond occupying seats in Parliament to having the confidence, knowledge and influence to shape policies and hold government accountable.
Imboela also questioned how women had been included in the government’s Grow Zambia agenda, arguing that their role in the country’s development plans needed to be clearly defined.
While describing the agenda as a positive step towards national development, she said the real test would be whether government backed its commitments with funding.
“We want Zambia to develop. But where are the women in that agenda? And what exactly are we looking for?” she asked.
She urged stakeholders to pay close attention to the national budget and establish whether money would be allocated to the priorities government had outlined.
Imboela also called on MPs to take their work seriously by reading, researching and preparing adequately for parliamentary debates.
She said she was concerned by some of the recent speeches in Parliament, arguing that lawmakers should focus on their legislative responsibilities instead of turning debates into confrontations with political opponents.
Her concerns extended to the representation of women through the proportional representation system. She said such MPs should remember that their responsibility was to represent the interests of the groups whose participation in politics they were elected to advance.
Imboela challenged women MPs to work together across party lines, particularly in pushing for issues affecting women, young people and persons with disabilities.
She said political parties also needed clear and fair criteria for selecting candidates, noting that uncertainty over the process could discourage women and young people from participating in politics.
Imboela warned that increasing the number of women in Parliament would not automatically translate into greater influence if they were unable to contribute meaningfully to national decisions.
“We don’t want an increased Parliament with a reduced voice,” she said.
She further argued that Zambia could not expect women’s inclusion to improve while democratic institutions and practices remained weak.
“If there’s no democracy, then women’s inclusion will continue to be elusive. We need to strengthen our democracy in order to strengthen gender equality,” she said.
Imboela urged women leaders to stand together despite their political differences, saying unity would be key to making progress on gender equality.
“When we stand together, we are going to achieve so much more,” she said.
Kumwesu | Oct 22, 2026