Where have all the women gone? Long time passing. This year alone, there will be over 30 presidential elections held around the world. Over half of these will be in Africa. On 20 September 2011, Zambia goes to the polls to elect a president, members of parliament and local councilors. Another chapter in the country’s democratic history will be written as people exercise their right to vote and to choose their leaders at all levels. So where are the women representatives in this process?

The intention of this article is to focus on why in Zambia, where over half of the registered voters, and in the past elections over half of the voting population have been women, the actual numbers of female candidates standing for local and national representation is on the decline? Why this negative trend and what can be done to increase women’s political representation in the country?

ZAMBIA should move away from campaigns that are based on personalities and instead hear the views of the majority who are seeking better and sustained livelihoods, says the women movement,

During prayers for peaceful elections held at the Cathedral of the Child Jesus on Friday under the theme ‘Peace and Harmony in our Motherland’, NGOCC board chairperson Beatrice Grillo said Zambians wanted good health facilities and services, gainful employment for youths, respect and promotion of women’s and children rights, equitable distribution of resources such as land, food security and equal education opportunities for both girls and boys among other issues of concern.

Grillo reminded all political parties to ensure that they exercise maximum tolerance in their campaigns.

Mirriam Kauseni is on a quest to become her town’s first ever female parliamentarian. She has yet to be elected to run for the post by her party, the Patriotic Front (PF), but Kauseni has already been conducting door-to-door campaigns, telling people to vote for her in the country’s national elections.

The resident of Mansa in the northern province of Luapula, attends all her party’s fundraising ventures in the constituency, attends all community gatherings such as funerals; church functions; and weddings. Here she always takes a moment to tell people the importance of voting for her in this year’s ballot, the date of which is yet to be announced.

National Women’s Lobby Group (NWLG) has embarked on a training programme to make political women candidate’s credible leaders as they go into campaigns. In an interview at Choma’s Riverside Lodge where 45 women drawn from different political parties in Southern Province met, NWLG vice-chairperson Hellen Kalikeka said she was looking at a situation where more women would offer themselves to aspire for different political offices during this year’s elections.