Choonya, UPND stalwart, berates NGOCC for not doing enough to push greater representation of women in politics

Pan African Parliament (PAP) Women’s Political Ambassador to Zambia, Mirriam Choonya, has criticised the Non-Governmental Gender Organisations Coordinating Council (NGOCC) for rejecting the opportunity to make submissions to the ongoing Constitution Amendments.

In a statement issued in Lusaka, Choonya — who is also the ruling United Party for National Development (UPND) Kafue Constituency lawmaker — described the NGOCC’s position as a missed opportunity for the council and its affiliates.

Choonya said the NGOCC should have remained focused on its mandate and identified its niche in the “constitution circus,” rather than allowing itself to be swayed by “male dominated politics or is it politricks around the constitution-making process.”

She argued that the organisation had failed to utilise a rare chance to push for improved representation of women in governance.

“I have just bumped into this conversation and of course I have not read everyone’s views and neither am I privy to the detailed position of NGOCC initially when they supported the process and now that they are against it,” Choonya stated.

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She said Zambia continued to lag behind in the representation of special interest groups—particularly women—in governance structures.

Choonya noted that the government had clearly outlined its intended “content,” selecting what it considered non-contentious, while still providing an opportunity for stakeholders to discuss, agree, or disagree.

“Looking back at my years in civil society and my experience in government, I now fully appreciate why time passes and we’re still in the same place,” she said.

She added that given NGOCC recently commemorated 40 years of championing women’s rights, lawmakers “would like to hold them accountable and maybe even responsible for the poor representation of women in governance.”

Choonya urged NGOCC and other stakeholders opposing the current Constitution Amendments to consider the bigger picture rather than focusing solely on perceived flaws in the process.

“Having been part of the advocacy around the constitution-making process, and indeed having participated in the process itself, I am aware of the adage about ‘process protecting content,’” she said.

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