ECZ Ask Women to Take New Parliamentary Seats

The Electoral Commission (ECZ) has called on women and youths to actively take advantage of 20 parliamentary seats reserved for women under the country's new proportional representation electoral system.

Speaking at the Count Me In Women's Conference in Ndola, Copperbelt Province Electoral Officer Shaft Musaka said the constitutional reform presents a significant opportunity to increase women's representation in decision-making - but only if women move beyond being voters and step forward as candidates, observers and leaders.

The Constitution of Zambia (Amendment) Act No. 13 of 2025 introduced 40 proportional representation seats in Parliament - 20 reserved for women, 15 for youths and five for persons with disabilities. The seats will be allocated to political parties in proportion to the number of valid votes obtained by their presidential candidates at the national level.

Mr Musaka said ECZ has been strengthening voter education programmes to address the barriers that have historically limited women's participation, and is working to ensure elections are conducted in an environment free from intimidation and discrimination.

He urged women to familiarise themselves with the new electoral system through media, social media and community radio, and challenged conference participants to take what they had learned back to their communities.

"Elections are not a one-time event but an ongoing process," he said.

The Commission said meaningful participation by women in politics is essential to building a more representative and equitable democracy.