By Shikanda Kawanga

Miyomuri Construction and Engineering Limited Director Erica Miyoba Chifumpu (centre) with site engineers

It’s no longer a man’s world as REA awards three women contractors. Getting more women into male dominated industries has for some time now been the nucleus of public debate in many industrialised countries, of which Zambia is not an exception. To help bridge the gender gaps, Governments has been implementing the National Gender Policy, which ensures the attainment of gender equality in the development process by redressing the existing gender imbalances.

it also provides for equal opportunities for women and men to actively participate, contribute to their fullest ability and equitable benefit from national development.

in support of the National Gender Policy, the Rural electrification Authority (REA) has operationalised it’s gender policy by deliberately allocating three of these projects to women-owned companies with a view to mainstreaming gender in its operation. The three beneficiaries are Jamashu Enterprise Limited, Zariah Investment Limited and Miyomuri Construction and Engineering Limited.

On 10th August 2023, REA hosted a contract signing ceremony for batch two of the 2023 projects at Golden Peacock Hotel, where Acting Chief Executive Officer Eng. Alex Mbumba was the guest of honour. Eng. Mbumba said the Authority is proud that there are some women contractors who decided to bid. The A/CEO challenged the three female contractors to ensure that they prove themselves so that more women can be considered for future projects.

“It is also worth noting that the Authority has further operationalised its gender policy by deliberately allocating three of three projects to women- owned companies with a view to mainstreaming gender in its operations.” he said. And speaking at the same events, Director Strategy Planning, Mrs. Jacqueline Musonda, said the Authority will support the women on condition that they successfully implement the projects.

Mrs. Musonda urged the women contractors to ensure they improve themselves to show that they are capable of implementing engineering projects that are mostly male dominated.

“To our women folk, I am glad that we are smashing the glass ceiling of the male dominated industry. As REA, we are gender sensitive and we will support you,” she said.

Mrs. Musonda said the contract awardees have a key role in transforming rural communities. It is worth noting that it is slowly becoming the norm to see women penetrating the male dominated field. However, some questions that beg answers are: Do women make a difference in a male- dominated field? simply put, is having more always for the better?

These and more questions are entirely up to the women contractors to prove to themselves that they too can do what the male contactors can do and can do it even better.