The Minister of Labour, Youth, Sports and Manpower Development, Francis Kasaila has called on employers in the country to offer equal employment opportunities to women as men.

Kasaila said the law demands that employers must balance gender during recruitment.

“The law in gender equality stipulates that in all aspects there should be 60-40 balance, where 60 could be men and 40 women or vice versa,” he clarified.

Kasaila said that achieving gender equality is a long term process and drastic changes should not be expected immediately.

“Change will not come overnight, there is need for all of us to take decisive action during recruitment to ensure that women participate in the economic development of the nation,” he elaborated.

He further appealed to the nation to join hands in achieving gender equality and not to consider this as government’s sole responsibility.

“This issue requires efforts from all of us not just the government but also the private sector, religious leaders and all other concerned parties,” he advised.

Kasaila said women in the country are committed to developing the nation hence the need to encourage them.

“It is important that we give our women an opportunity to serve us because it has been demonstrated overtime that women are very committed to their work,” he explained.

Kasaila’s call comes barely two weeks after the International Monetary Fund (IMF) made an appeal to all countries in sub-Saharan Africa to include more women in the labour force.

According to the IMF, the move would boost Global Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by five percent.