Rural Women Assembly Zambia Chapter (RWA) hosted a training workshop to equip women across the country to fight the scourge of Gender-Based Violence (GBV). The workshop was held at the Chimuthuzi Lodge in Chongwe from 19 to 20 September 2022. The workshop trained anti-GBV champions on how to collect data using a scorecard which, when analysed, will feed into the overall GBV campaign strategy.

The other important topic covered in the workshop was Climate Change and its effects. It was emphasised that the government needs to act more decisively regarding climate change by introducing more effective interventions. The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Peasant Farmers (UNDROP) was the other topic covered in the workshop. The resolution from the workshop emphasised that UNDROP is an effective tool to fight and secure farmers’ rights.

Zambia Alliance for Agroecology and Biodiversity (ZAAB) Country Coordinator, Mutinta Nketani, discussed the importance of organic farming. She stressed the need for the women to continue practising agroecology and using indigenous seeds to achieve seed sovereignty and nutrition. She further encouraged women to continue using those indigenous seeds which have beneficial medicinal properties. Mkutinta emphasised that Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) should be completely avoided as live GMO could contaminate other seeds and ruin non-GMO seeds if it is not in good isolation.

At the close of the meeting RWA Zambia Chapter Chairperson, Mary Sakalam thanked ZAAB for working with the Zambia country chapter by sponsoring one day of the workshop. Mary also appreciated all the women who participated in the training and urged them to practice and share with others what they have learnt. She explained that the Rural Women\’s Assembly is a self-organised network whose vision is to create a platform for rural women to achieve their seed, water and land rights.