Zambia: Samuell Phiri
| Gender Links
| Name | Samuell |
| Surname | Phiri |
| Country | Zambia |
| Give a short history of the leader | I got involved in gender community work after realizing that gender concerns were not being considered. In my community most projects were being decided by men. The whole community respected views of men than women. Most of the houses built on hills in my community were men driven. Men decided to build a house on a hill. For them this was a nice view but for most women they did not like the idea of building on hill because it was difficult to fetch water. The men never saw this as a problem because they were not involved in fetching water. So this prompted me to be involved in community work to help supply water, good roads and schools for children . The women were very happy aswell as men because it meant that schools, roads and clinics were going to be constructed. Furthermore, women were trading in unconducive environments. So I got involved in leadership at community level to ensure that the council provided market shelters for women. |
| Objectives | To promote gender and development through gender sensitive planning and budgeting |
| Key activities | I facilitate development in my ward through government funding and linking my community to stakeholders that can help bring about sustainable development in my ward. |
| Key challenges | In my work the main challenges are resource mobilization for development projects |
Results | |
| Change at the individual level | In my work I have become passionate about promoting gender at all levels of development. I feel nobody should be left behind if we are to achieve development. I have realized that gender responsive planning is the only way we can take care of everyone's developmental needs. |
| Evidence of change at the individual level | At individual level I am now gender sensitive in all my personal activities. My wife mrs. Phiri can attest to this. All my children now know that our dad takes time to know our gender concerns before helping us individually. |
| Change at the household level | At our house house chores are shared equally, gender roles recognized for boys and girls. The girl child now has the freedom to be heard in any family matters. |
| Evidence of change at the household level | My neighbor mr. Mbuzi one day told me in my language that "koma a phiri mupasa ulemu azimayi" this was when he found me planning a home budget with my wife. |
| Change at institutional level | The Council has a gender policy, a gender committee, has women joining African network women in southern Africa network. |
| Evidence of change at institutional level | The Council has a gender policy, a gender committee, has women joining African network women in southern Africa network. |
| Change at a policy level | The ministry now has put in place a gender implementation plan for all councils which will be guiding all on gender mainstreaming and budgeting. |
| Evidence of change at a policy level | The council now has put in place a gender policy which never existed before |
| Capacity building | I attended a gender mainstreaming capacity building to help train women on how to be gender responsive at community level |
| Lessons learned and shared | Men now appreciate that development is affected if women are not included in planning and development |
| Next Steps | My future plans are to conduct capacity building meetings in my ward to build capacity gender responsive budgeting for my ward. I also plan to conduct sensitistaions on Sexual and reproductive health rights (SRHR) in my ward |
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