TURN ELECTION LESSONS INTO ACTION

NGOCC and partners, including ActionAid and Oxfam, call for solidarity, practical support and sustained mentorship, stressing that no woman should stand alone in her quest for political leadership.

By Francis Maingaila ♥️

Lusaka, Zambia24 — 15 September 2026 —

The 2026 general elections have exposed both the progress made by women in politics and the barriers that continue to limit their participation, with women leaders and governance advocates now calling for the lessons to be turned into sustained action ahead of 2031.

Faides Tembatemba, NGOCC Board Secretary and ActionAid Country Director, said the post-election reflection had demonstrated that women had made progress but still faced serious challenges in achieving meaningful political participation and representation.

Speaking at the close of the reflection meeting, Ms Tembatemba said the lessons from the 2026 elections should guide organising and advocacy now rather than waiting for the next election.

She said women had also demonstrated that they could work together despite perceptions that women were unable to support one another.

Ms Tembatemba called on civil society organisations to amplify the voices of women and young people, challenge barriers to participation, promote accountable leadership and strengthen women’s movements.

She also called on men to support women in political leadership.

“Never leave us behind. Always hold our hands,” Ms Tembatemba said.

She said the challenge was now to move from reflection to concrete action through stronger partnerships and sustained advocacy.

Feminist activist and former NGOCC chairperson Sera Longwe said women should recognise that their personal experiences were political and should not keep their challenges to themselves.

“Feminism doesn't mean that only women do it. Everyone who sees that some other gender is being left out, they are feminists,” Ms Longwe said.

She urged women to move beyond what she described as “armchair feminism” and become active in confronting inequalities.

Ms Longwe congratulated women who won seats as well as those who contested and lost, saying all had gained important lessons from the elections.

She said one of her biggest lessons was that “the personal is political”, extending beyond party politics to everyday issues and questions of integrity.

Ms Longwe said women should develop strategies for dealing with political challenges instead of abandoning them when they encountered resistance.

She said women at local, provincial, district and national levels had shared similar challenges and should confront them one at a time.

Ms Longwe also spoke about her own attempt to contest for Parliament, saying she faced opposition from her party leadership because of her consistent advocacy for equality and gender equality.

“We need to speak to people about what challenge you had. Keeping challenges to yourself is not being political because some solutions can only happen if you say them,” she said.

She encouraged younger women to push boundaries and learn from women who had gone before them.

Former NGOCC chairperson Evelyn Chibesa Manda said the women’s movement had made significant progress since the 1995 Beijing Conference, when the implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action became a major priority.

Ms Manda said women’s participation in decision-making was among the critical areas identified under the platform.

She congratulated NGOCC for contributing to changes in the calibre of women entering politics.

“But today, I would like to say, NGOCC, congratulations. The message is getting to everyone because the levels of women now venturing into politics, I'm sure my fellow women and gentlemen here will agree with me, they are women equal in substance to the men and there the competition begins,” Ms Manda said.

She urged women not to be intimidated or apologetic when pursuing political leadership.

“We need them. You need to strengthen yourselves. Don't sit apologising. Don't be counting down. Be strong and face-head on,” she said.

Ms Manda congratulated women who contested as councillors and parliamentary candidates, saying their courage was important despite the difficulties encountered during the elections.

She said 29 women had won seats in the 2026 elections and urged NGOCC to give particular attention to women councillors because they worked directly with communities.

Ms Manda said women councillors could form a pipeline of future parliamentary candidates because they were already known by their communities.

“This crop of us women to stand or vie for parliamentary elections can come from the councillors there because they are known to the people,” she said.

She urged NGOCC to begin preparing women early for future elections.

“Start early. NGOCC, you have a responsibility and the job is going to be big and bigger through the women's lobby group,” Ms Manda said.

She encouraged women to begin their political careers at community level and eventually move into provincial and national leadership.

“Women, pull up your skirts and start getting involved at community level as councillors,” Ms Manda said.

She also called for training in public speaking and other skills needed by women councillors to effectively represent their communities.

NDC president Saboi Imboela urged women to build their own political strength instead of depending entirely on political parties or individual politicians.

Ms Imboela said Zambia remained largely party-driven and women needed parties to win elections, but should also build their own identities, networks and support bases.

“Please find a party because Zambians vote on party lines whether we like it or not,” she said.

She warned women against relying entirely on party structures because political interests could change, particularly during adoption processes.

Ms Imboela urged women to build relationships with communities and support networks long before elections, saying politics should be treated as a long-term undertaking rather than something that begins at nomination.

Zambia Governance Foundation executive director Ingwese Mwale said support for women should continue after elections and not end when votes had been counted.

Ms Mwale said elected women needed practical knowledge of parliamentary and council procedures, debates, policy-making and how to connect gender concerns to national development.

She said both independent and party-affiliated women should receive support and have platforms where they could learn from and support one another.

Ms Mwale said increasing the number of women in political office was only part of the challenge because they also needed sustained support to become effective leaders.

Families Are Nations Country Director Judith Mwila urged women to prepare continuously rather than waiting for election years.

Ms Mwila said young women needed early leadership development and mentorship across generations.

She said families and communities also needed to change attitudes that discouraged women from seeking political leadership.

Ms Mwila said women also needed digital and social media skills to deal with online harassment and abuse.

“NGOCC is that place where all these things are in one port, but we need them discharged continuously. We shouldn’t wait for a year before elections,” she said.

Lusaka mayoral aspirant Namuchiya Banda said her own experience had demonstrated the consequences of inadequate solidarity among women.

Ms Banda, who was the only woman among six mayoral candidates, said she had expected stronger support from women and women’s organisations but ended up campaigning largely on her own.

“I was just alone in this journey and I was the only female candidate. No one was clapping for me. I ended up clapping for myself,” she said.

She said support did not always have to be financial, adding that relationships, connections, introductions and encouragement could make a significant difference.

“The help that women need is that help where I can pick up the call and talk. It’s never about money all the time. It’s never about money,” Ms Banda said.

She urged women to support one another through calls, platforms, introductions and encouragement.

“We need to hold each other’s hand, even when people are not watching,” she said.

Euphraesia Mbewe, a woman living with disability who contested the Kabwata parliamentary seat as an independent, called for greater inclusion of women with disabilities in political decision-making.

“We need more women with disabilities in Parliament, especially under proportional representation. It should not just be about speaking for women with disabilities. Political parties must consult women with disabilities so that they can make informed decisions,” Ms Mbewe said.

She said her campaign was affected by limited resources and communication challenges, including the absence of sign-language interpreters in some areas.

Ms Mbewe said special-needs teachers assisted in some areas while posters helped communicate her manifesto.

She received 1,166 votes in her first parliamentary contest despite initially doubting whether she could reach 1,000 votes.

Ms Mbewe said she faced ridicule and doubts because of her deafness but remained determined to demonstrate that disability should not prevent women from holding political office.

Oxfam Programmes Manager Gloria Fulo said women’s representation and participation were central to democratic governance.

Ms Fulo said the experiences of women candidates should be used to identify practical measures for making politics safer and more accessible.

She said Oxfam had held a regional learning event in Malawi before Zambia’s 2026 elections, bringing together female MPs and stakeholders from South Africa, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Kenya and Mozambique to examine barriers facing women in politics.

Ms Fulo said the lessons pointed to the need for stronger leadership development, civic engagement, policy reforms and measures to prevent political violence and discrimination.

Monze councillor Ninoria Chilala said one of her biggest challenges came during the national adoption process after she had experienced no major problems at constituency, district and provincial levels.

Ms Chilala said she was initially the only woman among 15 councillors and received an adoption certificate before another candidate later claimed the same adoption.

She said the process was further complicated when her original Grade 12 certificate could not immediately be found and she had to obtain a reprint from the Examinations Council of Zambia.

Ms Chilala said poor network connectivity delayed the process and resulted in her documents being referred for verification.

She said another contender had a recommendation from the provincial level but could not override the national structure.

“My name was on that list, not his,” Ms Chilala said.

Socialist Party candidate Nancy Mpongo said she encountered difficulties during nomination after the Electoral Commission of Zambia initially failed to detect her scanned documents.

Ms Mpongo said she had to repeat the process before eventually securing her nomination.

She said young women continued to face gender bias and concerns over political violence.

Ms Mpongo lost to a male candidate but said she remained willing to work with him.

She urged women not to abandon politics after losing elections but to regroup, learn from their experiences and prepare for future contests.

Chilanga Ward councillor Charity Mbozi said lack of support among women remained one of the biggest obstacles to women’s political advancement.

Ms Mbozi said her involvement in church and community activities before entering politics had helped her build relationships with residents.

She said formal politics brought financial and adoption challenges, while women sometimes undermined one another and created divisions.

Ms Mbozi urged women not to regard another woman’s success as a threat but as an opportunity to open doors for others.

Roma Ward councillor Patron Simwami Buumba said financial and political pressure during the adoption process had tested her determination to contest.

Ms Buumba said she was the only woman among four candidates seeking adoption and that her 27 years of community work did not prevent her documents from being questioned at a provincial meeting.

She said women at the meeting insisted that her documents be found, forcing the meeting to be adjourned.

Ms Buumba said she was eventually adopted despite what she described as later attempts to use money and influence to overturn the decision.

She said the experience was emotionally difficult but strengthened her resolve.

Ms Buumba said residents wanted a woman leader because women often understood family and community challenges from a different perspective.

Kasenengwa Mukoyo Ward councillor Rose Sakala said she entered politics because she wanted to serve her community and become a voice for young people, women and girls.

Ms Sakala said her journey was difficult because of financial constraints, limited support and criticism, including comparisons with more experienced male candidates.

She eventually won and was sworn into office.

Ms Sakala said leadership was not determined by age but by willingness, commitment and action, and encouraged young women to enter politics instead of waiting for the future.

“The preparation for 2031 should begin now. Political parties, civil society organisations, women’s movements, communities and men all have a role to play in creating space for women to participate and lead,” the participants said.

“The lessons from the 2026 elections must now be turned into practical action. No woman should stand alone in the pursuit of political leadership,” they said.