ILO/Irish-Aid Regional Programme on social protection launch public lectures in universities
Over the years, Zambia has continued to make major strides in the provision of various social protection interventions intended at reducing the impact of poverty and vulnerability on citizens. However, the levels of awareness among citizens of their rights to social protection as well as the existence of various social protection interventions and services in Zambia remain low. This entails taking deliberate steps to reach all population groups with social protection knowledge, including young people, who are the majority.
26 July 2024
To help narrow the information gaps and raise the levels of awareness, the International Labour Organization (ILO) with funding from Irish-Aid recently launched a series of Social Protection Public Lectures, which are currently being rolled out in various universities and colleges countrywide.
The series is expected to run until December 2024 and may be extended to 2026. The inaugural public lecture took place on 01 March 2024 at the University of Zambia main campus in Lusaka, while the second event, which featured officials from Ministry of Community Development and Social Services and Ministry of Labour and Social Security, as well as Friedrich Ebert Foundation, took place on 26 July 2024 at the Copperbelt University.
In an interview, Tissa Mumba, a fourth-year medical student at the Copperbelt University said: “I didn’t know student bursaries, Pension Schemes such as National Pensions Authority and NHIMA are forms of social protection. I thought Social Cash Transfer was Social Protection.”
Another student, John Chinyama explained that: “Now that I know that social protection is a human right and not a privilege, I am eager to participate and raise my voice together with others through student associations to ensure that access to social protection programmes is a law in Zambia.”
Meanwhile, ILO Social Protection Project, National Project Coordinator, Felix Mwenge said the public lecturers are aimed at providing a platform for students to learn about social protection programmes.
“We are bringing these public lectures to inform future leaders, so they are aware of social protection programs in Zambia in order to promote ownership and active participation,” said Mr Mwenge.
He added that the public lectures would help citizens realise that social protection is a human right, stating that once citizens were empowered with knowledge, they would be able to make leaders accountable for their actions and demand prudent use of social protection resources.