Move From Presence To Influence, Katuta Urges Women; Says Highest Office Is Not Reserved For Men

by Pauline Ngozoh

Chienge Member of Parliament and Independent Presidential Candidate for the 2026 General Elections, Hon. Given Katuta Mwenya, has urged women to shift from mere presence to genuine influence in leadership spaces.

Speaking at the Gender Disparity in Public Leadership Conference held at the InterContinental Hotel in Lusaka, Hon. Katuta said influencing national priorities is critical.

"As women we must move from being present to being influential. That's very important. Influencing budgets, influencing policy on education, health and justice for all our children," she said.

Reflecting on her political journey in Parliament, Hon. Katuta emphasized the need to move beyond tokenism to substantive leadership. She argued that women are often given positions to fulfil quotas, including the Proportional Representation (PR) seats, but should instead be given space to demonstrate leadership.

"Sometimes women are given positions. We have heard of the PRs. We are given positions not to tick a box but we are given positions to show leadership and not to be taken for granted. It is taken with competence, character and courage," she stated.

Hon. Katuta disclosed that this principle informed her decision to contest the 2026 presidential election as an independent candidate, despite being the sole woman in a crowded race of 14 contenders.

"That is why I ran as an independent presidential candidate for 2026. Because it was not about being given leadership on a silver platter. Not because it is easy or it was easy but because someone must show our daughters that the highest office is not reserved for men," she said.

She further called on women to redefine their participation in governance and business.

"To my dear colleagues, sisters, I want to say this. We should not fight just to be invited into the room but we should fight to own the rooms where we are invited, it being parliament, in the corporate world, we should go and own those rooms and to set also the agenda, to live with integrity," she added.

She concluded with a powerful affirmation: "We are not just mothers to the nation, we are the nation."

Hon. Katuta's candidacy comes amid concerns by the Non-Governmental Gender Organisations Coordinating Council (NGOCC) and the Zambia National Women's Lobby, which have noted that only 7.1% of presidential candidates and 12.5% of parliamentary candidates in the 2026 elections are women, representing a decline from 2021.