NGOCC Demands Inclusive Politics





Focus on ensuring women with disabilities are visible, vocal, and represented in decision-making spaces.

By Francis Maingaila ♥️ 
Lusaka, Zambia, 24 January 2026 — The Non-Governmental Gender Coordinating Council (NGOCC) on Thursday demanded inclusive politics during an engagement with the Zambia National Association of Women with Disabilities (ZNADWO) in Lusaka, emphasizing the need for women with disabilities to be visible, vocal, and represented in governance and leadership ahead of the 2026 General Elections.

Speaking during the engagement, NGOCC Board Chairperson Beauty Katebe said the initiative was aimed at confronting persistent barriers that continue to marginalise women with disabilities from political participation and decision-making spaces.

“This engagement is about advancing inclusive democracy and making sure that Zambia’s political processes reflect all citizens, particularly women with disabilities who remain significantly underrepresented,” Ms Katebe said.

She noted that women with disabilities face multiple layers of exclusion stemming from inaccessible political systems, negative social attitudes, and systemic discrimination—not a lack of interest or capacity for leadership.

“Excluding women with disabilities from political processes weakens our democracy and deprives the country of vital perspectives and lived experiences necessary for effective governance,” Ms Katebe added.

NGOCC has stepped up advocacy ahead of the August 2026 elections through the Her Time Is Now campaign, which seeks to mobilise support for women aspiring to political office, including women with disabilities. 

Ms Katebe described the campaign as a deliberate effort to challenge entrenched stereotypes that undermine women’s leadership and reaffirm political participation as a constitutional right.

She called on political parties, electoral management bodies, civil society organisations, and the State to remove barriers to participation by ensuring accessible electoral processes, inclusive civic education, and reasonable accommodation for aspiring leaders with disabilities.

As part of the engagement, NGOCC donated braille booklets aimed at raising awareness on harmful traditional practices that hinder women—particularly women with disabilities—from fully exercising their rights, including political participation.

Ms Katebe urged women with disabilities to participate confidently in political processes, stressing that Zambia’s democracy would be stronger when they are visible, vocal, and meaningfully represented in leadership and governance spaces.

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