NGOCC NATIONAL UPDATE ON WOMEN’S POLITICAL PARTICIPATION, CANDIDATES ADOPTIONS AND NOMINATION PROCESSES AHEAD OF THE AUGUST 13 ELECTIONS
24th May 2026
First and foremost, NGOCC wishes to remind the nation that its core mandate is to advocate for the equal participation of women and men in the governance and development of Zambia. Central to this mandate is the promotion of women’s participation in political leadership, an area in which Zambia continues to record persistently low levels of female representation
It is against this background that NGOCC mounted rigorous engagement meetings with political parties ahead of the 13th August 2026 General Elections to advocate for the adoption of more women candidates. Our advocacy was premised on the understanding that if women are not placed on the ballot, voters are denied the opportunity to elect women to leadership. Political parties therefore remain central to advancing Zambia’s gender equality aspirations through deliberate, inclusive and balanced adoption processes.
Given the above, NGOCC now wishes to provide an update on its engagements with political parties, the adoption process and the filing of nominations ahead of the crucial August polls.
During the engagements NGOCC submitted proposed lists of qualified women for consideration by the political parties. We wish to thank and commend all the political parties we reached out to, as they demonstrated openness to dialogue and consideration of women candidates throughout this process. In parallel, we engaged aspiring independent female candidates and provided mentorship and guidance to some women seeking adoption, particularly on navigating the often rigorous and highly competitive adoption process.
At the commencement of nominations, NGOCC extended solidarity and support to female aspirants across the country. We supported women contesting under various political parties as well as independent candidates. We are encouraged by the notable number of women who successfully filed their nominations, marking an important step forward in strengthening women’s political participation and representation.
NGOCC now awaits the official list of validly nominated candidates from the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) to assess the extent to which female representation has been reflected among adopted candidates.
However, NGOCC regrets the violence, corruption, confusion and irregularities that characterised some nomination events across the country, including reports of duplicated and disputed adoption certificates. We are further concerned that while supporting one female aspirant, members of the NGOCC team were detained by police under circumstances that fall short of the democratic values and freedoms Zambia upholds. Political violence remains one of the major barriers preventing many women from actively participating in politics and seeking public office, as it creates fear, intimidation and an unsafe environment for women aspiring for leadership.
NGOCC therefore strongly calls on all political parties, law enforcement agencies and stakeholders to uphold peace, fairness, transparency and inclusivity throughout the electoral process. As the country transitions into the official campaign period, we urge all stakeholders to prioritise peaceful, issue-based, inclusive and violence-free elections.
ISSUED
For/NGOCC
Beauty Katebe
NGOCC Board Chairperson