SESTUZ
Secondary School Teachers’ Union of Zambia
It was eleven (11) years after the union was registered when it was noted that very few women were participating in the activities of the union generally and later on take up leadership positions. This prompted the union to amend the constitution to make it more gender sensitive.
The first amendment was done in 2006 but the changes made then were not adequate enough to improve the status of the women in the union. At this point the union only created a position of the National Women’s Chairperson and that of the National Women’s Coordinator of which was to be a full time Position. The first National Women’s Chairperson was Jane Gondwe. She was elected in 2006. The first person to occupy the office of the National Women’s Coordinator was Patricia C. Siame. She was appointed to take up this position in 2009 and worked as a part time officer at the time. The two officers could not operate effectively at the time they took up their offices because there were no women structures to work with. So in an interim, the union created Positions for Provincial and District Women’s Coordinators in 2012 so that they could help coordinate women activities in the Provinces and Districts respectively. In 2014 the union held the first National Women’s Conference where an interim National Women’s Advisory Committee was constituted. From this point onwards, things begun to get better for the women. The union started seeing more and more women take part in the activities. This made more women come to understand what goes on in the union and subsequently some started availing themselves for leadership Positions in the mainstream structures of the union.
In order to legitimize the Positions that were created for women as well as the National Women’s Advisory Committee that was constituted, the union further amended the constitution in 2016. This constitution provided for among other things, the formation of Women Committees, the creation of the Positions for Provincial and District Women’s Coordinators as well as the establishment of the National Women’s Advisory Committee. The amendment of 2016 also saw the name of the National Women’s Coordinator change to Director Women Affairs. In this same 2016, the Director Women Affairs took up her position on full time basis. This meant that women now had someone at Secretariat who was ensuring that activities of the women are funded. From 2016 to date the union has seen this wing carryout and participate in a number of activities. With the support given to the women, they are able to take part in all international and national events. The pictures shared below shows some of the activities the women have done or participated in.
From 2014 to date, the union has held three National Women’s Conferences out which the following were elected respectively.
Note that the Secretary did not complete this term because she was appointed as Director Public Relations in April 2022. As per Constitution the Vice Secretary took up the office of the Secretary leaving her position vacant. During the Workshop for the Provincial Women’s Coordinators and NWAC Members held in Kabwe in 2022, Ms Lubasi was elected to fill the Position of the Vice Secretary and Ms Unyenya Martha was elected as a Committee Member.
It should be noted that these National Advisory Committee members were drawn from the Provincial Women’s Coordinators. The lists below shows the women who served as Provincial Women’s Coordinators.
The next set of Provincial Women’s Coordinators (2014 – 2019). You will notice that in many Provinces there are two names, this means that the first person did not go up to the end of the Term.
The next set of Provincial Women’s Coordinators (2019 – 2023). Where there are two names, it means again that the first person did not go up to the end of the term.