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When I met Gender Links for the first time, Faides was at the Local Government General Conference in Zambia where local authorities meet once a year. Faides attended and gave a report on what GL was doing. She invited councils to come and begin to interact with GL. When I saw what they are doing, I immediately invited the team as GL to come to Katete with the councillors and other key staff; that was the beginning of the marriage.
After we started the training, however, I realized that we were not keeping sex disaggregated data, and we were missing a lot of information that was necessary to gauge where we were as a district. There were a number of areas where we were sensitized through the training, which I believed made us better managers. As an authority, I believe that the most important lesson learned was the need to link up with different stakeholders at their level to ensure that service delivery takes place. Most importantly however, I see the value in actively involving women. We all have to work together.
I feel my life has changed as since I became a gender champion, I need to lead by example. I will not just come from work and expect everything to be done for me. I have taken more initiative in my home. I don’t lose my manhood if I help with the dishes, I will be a man no matter what. I try to pass this thinking around and inspire others to think like this – even at work.
I believe that all of the changes I have experienced over the last many months are due to the work that Gender Links has developed and taken forward in Zambia. I continue to encourage GL to continue working with those lives that will change the attitude of people, that’s where the change really is. I think that modules must be developed that dismantle these rooted roles. I think that things like that can be done more and more. I am saddened that in parliament there are more men than women, and that women are accomplices in this. They are able to vote too, but do not vote for women.
My most memorable experience with Gender Links was in 2011, when I attended the summit. That was the climax of my time with GL. It is still so memorable because I actually came and mixed with so many people, and so many local authorities. It was amazing! Showcasing best practices on GBV, and everyone doing it so well in their own style, it was so amazing to see that we had so many approaches to do the same thing.
Faides does excellent work in changing peoples’ mindsets on gender. She is very bold and does not spare words in her training, she seems to have a God given gift of facilitating. She has played a very important part in my attitude change. There are times when we have had to argue, but something which is good cannot be defeated. This space for debate has also given me callable skills; through Gender Links, and the presentations I have had to make, I have learned how to use Microsoft Power Point.
Now, I transmit my attitude change to practice. After I have built knowledge, and am confident that my way of thinking is put right, that is translated into my actions. They say actions speak louder than words, and that’s the way it is. This is how my own change influences others to change.
I am retiring this year, but that won’t change the fact that I am advocating for gender equality. I have learned so much in the last two years. I believe that if people engage in good gender practices, other people will see that, and follow suit. I want to continue this trend into my retirement. I plan to keep working with NGO’s in the district; particularly the Katete District Women’s Association. I connected with one of the founders in the Gender Links summit, and I know we will have a strong collaboration in the years to come.
📝Read the emotional article by @nokwe_mnomiya, with a personal plea: 🇿🇦Breaking the cycle of violence!https://t.co/6kPcu2Whwm pic.twitter.com/d60tsBqJwx
— Gender Links (@GenderLinks) December 17, 2024
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