MANSA HOLDS TRAINING FOR WOMEN CANDIDATES

Mansa District is  hosting a two-day Training and Mentorship Workshop for Potential Women Leaders in Local Government, bringing together about 50 women aspirants from Luapula, Muchinga and Northern Provinces in a major drive to strengthen women’s participation in local governance.

The workshop taking place at Cross Roads Hotel, is being implemented under the Partnership for Municipal Innovation – Women in Local Leadership (PMI-WILL) Project, spearheaded by the Local Government Association of Zambia (LGAZ) with support from the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM).

The meeting was officially opened on behalf of the Mayor of Mansa, His Worship Njikho Musuku, by the Deputy Mayor, Mr. Besa Kalumba, who is also the Kaole Ward Councillor of Mansa Central Constituency. 

In delivering the Mayor’s message, the Deputy Mayor welcomed participants and cooperating partners to Mansa District and underscored the importance of the training at a time when the call for inclusive leadership and gender equality continues to gain momentum both nationally and globally.

He has highlighted that although women make up more than half of the population, their representation in local government leadership and decision-making structures remains disproportionately low due to long-standing structural and social barriers.

 The PMI-WILL Project was cited as a deliberate intervention aimed at addressing these challenges by equipping women with practical leadership skills, confidence and mentorship.

The two-day training focuses on leadership development, confidence building, mentorship and knowledge sharing, with the objective of preparing women to effectively contest elective positions in local government and to participate meaningfully in council decision-making processes.

 Participants are also expected to build networks and share experiences that will support their leadership journeys beyond the workshop.

Mayor Njikho has further emphasized that local authorities are the closest level of government to the people, with council decisions directly impacting service delivery in areas such as water and sanitation, markets, roads, health, education and social services, adding that increased participation of women in these spaces was described as key to achieving inclusive, responsive and sustainable development. 

The Mayor has  encouraged the aspiring women leaders to fully utilize the training opportunity, actively engage with facilitators and mentors, and view the workshop as a foundation for future leadership roles within their communities.

LGAZ, FCM and other cooperating partners have been commended for their continued commitment to strengthening women’s participation in local governance, noting that the PMI-WILL Project is part of a broader global initiative being implemented in countries such as Benin, Cambodia, Ghana and Sri Lanka.

Mansa Municipal Council reaffirmed its commitment to supporting initiatives that promote capacity building, mentorship and inclusive leadership, and pledged to continue creating an enabling environment for women to contest, lead and thrive in local government.

The workshop is expected to conclude with enhanced leadership capacity among participants and renewed momentum toward increasing women’s representation in local governance across the participating provinces.