Norman Nyendwa – Zambia

Norman Nyendwa – Zambia


Date: June 30, 2015
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Norman Nyendwa is a councillor at Lusaka City Council, and he has been working with Gender Links the last two years. Norman has been very active and involved in all Gender Links activities and has managed to put gender on the agenda in the council.

His most memorable experience was during the 16 days of activism campaign when he got the opportunity to sit down with GBV survivors. “I remembered a certain woman who was being battered on a daily bases. The woman was spending the night out when her husband was having fun with other women at home.” He was impressed by her courage to open up and share her experiences with him. As a councilor he feels responsible for taking action. “What happens after they have shared their experiences? We need to empower them with business skills and knowledge that will make them less dependent.”

Growing up with a single mother, knowing the hardship she underwent, so Norman has always had a soft spot for gender issues. It was when he advanced in his education that he started to realize the importance of gender, and question the fact that boys and girls are treated and valued differently. “Why is it that when she (his mother) has little money she priorities my brothers fees?”

Since the Lusaka City Council linked up with Gender Links, Norman has attended a number of workshops and has been a big supporter of Gender Links work. Faides Nsofu, Country Manager at GL Zambia, can see a big change in his attitudes towards gender. “Initially Norman had no idea about gender but after sitting an hour in the first workshop he attended, he became interested. His views and opinions on woman have totally changed. He can really articulate issues about women and he is also taking a stand in his ward.” She sees him as one of the two male councilors that are driving the process of gender in the council. “He is a person that acknowledges the disparity that is there in gender in local government and he supports the 50/50 campaign as a way of development in Zambia.”

In the Lusaka City Council, they are working in number of ways with gender. “We are working on an HR gender policy to ensure when we are recruiting 50/50. The person responsible for hiring is a woman. Since I started in 2011, there have been two.” Apart from developing policies, Norman also tried to change peoples attitudes when it comes to what is expected of men and women. He represents ward Roma, which has some compounds where men don’t allow their wives to go and work even though they can’t support their family themselves. Norman wants to challenge these gender stereotypes and drive more energy and confidence to women. “Grass slashing, digging trenches etc. I have told the community, what a man can do a women can do and vice versa.”

Bwalya Funga, the Gender Focal Point at Lusaka City Council has worked with Norman for three years, and she sees him as well as his brother, George Nyendwa as drivers of change. “In each and every workshop we have had, they have been present and contributed. They were part of developing and implementing the 16 days action plan for gender activism. He has also been part of advocating an institutionalised gender policy because right now we are using the national gender policy”. Bwalyas see him as an open person that people easily can approach and open up to. She thinks that he has had a positive impact on the GBV survivors he has met. “He will encourage women to come out and tell that they have been abused.”

Encouraged by the 50/50 by 2015 target, the council is currently trying to influence the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) to have a quota system just like Lesotho. “A group has to sit down with Lesotho’s government to see how it has developed and come back to implement it in Zambia. There are many bottlenecks such as stereotypical men who want to have it their own way. We have to bring them aboard and walk side by side with them. We have to make noise in parliament”. To achieve this, the council is working hand in hand with other institutions, such as Zambia’s National Womens’ Lobby group and WLSA.

Norman would also like to see a stronger legislation to criminalize gender violence. “We need to categorically state, a women has ben assaulted. The punishment should be different when a woman is slapped.”

For Norman, knowledge and awareness is they key to strengthening women’s rights. “In my two years I have met a lot of challenges in that women themselves are not aware of the rights they have.” For the future election he is hoping that the number of female councilor will increase. Norman has a lot of faith in the works of NGOs and FBOs and if he had all the resources he would like to set up an NGO that empowers women.

Norman Nyendwa is a councillor at the Lusaka City Council and he has been working with Gender Links for the last two years. Norman has been very active and involved in all of Gender Links’ activities, and has managed to put gender on the agenda in the council.

His most memorable experience was during the 16 days of activism campaign, when he got the opportunity to sit down with GBV survivors. “I remembered a certain women who was being battered on a daily bases. The woman was spending the night out when her husband was having fun with other women at home.” He was impressed by her courage to open up and share it with him. As a councilor, he feels responsible for taking action. “What happens after they have shared their experiences? We need to empower them with business skills and knowledge that will make them less dependent.”

Growing up with a single mother, knowing the hardship she underwent, Norman has always had a soft spot for gender issues, but it was when he advanced in education that he started to realize the importance of gender, and question the fact that boys and girls are treated and valued differently. “Why is it that when she (his mother) has little money she prioritizes my brothers fees?”

Since the Lusaka City Council is linked up with Gender Links, Norman has attended a number of workshops and has been a big supporter of Gender Links’ work. Faides Nsofu, Country Manager at GL Zambia, can see a big change in his attitudes towards gender. “Initially Norman had no idea about gender, but after sitting an hour in the first workshop he attended he got interested. His views and opinions on woman have totally changed. He can really articulate issues about women and he is also taking a stand in his ward”. She sees him as one of the two male councilors that are driving the process of gender in the council. “He is a person that acknowledges the disparity that is there in gender in local government and he supports the 50/50 campaign as a way of development in Zambia.”

In the Lusaka City Council they are working in a number of ways with gender. “We are working on an HR gender policy to ensure when we are recruiting 50/50. The person responsible for employing is a woman. Since I started in 2011 there have been two.” Apart from developing policies, Norman also tries to change peoples attitudes when it comes to what is expected of men and women. He represents ward Roma, which has some compounds where men refuse their wives to go and do some work even though they can’t support their family themselves. Norman wants to challenge these gender stereotypes and drive more energy and confidence to women folk. “Grass slashing, digging drenches etc. I have told the community, what a man can do a women can do it too, and vice versa.”

Bwalya Funga, the Gender Focal Point at the Lusaka City Council has worked with Norman for three years and she sees him as well as his brother, George Nyendwa as drivers of change. “In each and every workshop we have had they have been present and contributed. They were part of developing and implementing the 16 days action plan of gender activism. He has also been part of advocating an institutionalised gender policy because right now we are using the national gender policy.” Bwalyas see him as an open person that people easily can approach and open up to. She thinks that he has had a positive impact on the GBV survivors he has met. “He will encourage women to come out and tell that they have been abused.”

Encouraged by the 50/50 by 2015 target, the council is currently trying to influence the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) that Zambia should have a quarter system just like Lesotho. “A group has to sit down wit Lesotho’s government to see how it has developed and come back to implement it in Zambia. There are many bottlenecks such as stereotyped men that want to have it their own way. We have to bring them aboard and walk side by side by them. We have to make noise in parliament”. To achieve this the council is working hand in hand with other institutions such as Zambia National Womens’ Lobby group and WLSA.
Quote from Zambian National Womens’ Lobby group or WLSA about the cooperation with Norman.

Norman would also like to see a stronger legislation to criminalize gender violence. “We need to categorically state, a women has ben assaulted. The punishment should be different when the person slapped is a woman and a man.”

For Norman, knowledge and awareness is they key to strengthening women’s rights. “In my two years I have met a lot of challenges in that women themselves are not aware of the rights they have”. For the future election he is hoping that the number of female councilor will increase. Norman has big faith in the works of NGOs and FBOs and if he had all the resources he would like to set up and NGO that empowers women.

 


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