NEW DELHI-Energy Permanent Secretary Francesca Chisangano has been awarded with a honorary doctorate for her distinguished service at the 2022 Women Economic Forum (WEF) being held in New Delhi, India.
Mrs. Chisangano, who was the only African to receive the award by the Jharkhand Rai University during the special convocation held today, joined 11 other awardees in various fields from across the globe, who have also been recognized.
Speaking after being honored, Mrs. Chisangano said energy is a challenging sector which entails aligning policies to resonate with what is happening around the world especially on petroleum products as countries have to check what is happening around the globe for timely and deliberate policy direction.
She also said issues surrounding climate change are critical to her field and calls for concerted effort by both the private and public sector to join hands in order to run with policies aimed at averting the impact of climate change on the nation's electricity subsector. Dr Chisangano acknowledged the conferment indicating that she does not take it for granted and that she is humbled by the University’s recognition of her contribution to society.
And addressing delegates during the plenary session of the Forum before she again won the Woman of the Decade Award, Mrs. Chisangano challenged women privileged to serve in various portfolios to use their positions to champion women’s rights.
She observed that as long as women do not stand up to that which they believe in, no one will speak for them.
“When you are given a privilege to lead, you must ensure that whatever agenda in terms of policy or governance, you push it because opportunities like these don’t come easily. When you are at a certain level of decision making, it becomes easier to push the agenda of women,” Mrs. Chisangano said.
Meanwhile, Zambia’s Acting High Commissioner to India, Deliwe Mumbi, says President Hakainde Hichilema has placed a high premium on gender and that in addressing issues of gender equity and equality, Government has, among other things, intensified the fight against child marriages and enhanced the re-entry policy in schools to enable the girl child who falls pregnant while in school an opportunity to continue to pursue her education.
Mrs. Mumbi, who has also walked away with the Women of the Decade Award, says education opens doors to opportunities for women and that it is for this reason that the Zambian Government has also allocated more scholarships to women to pursue their education.
“Issues of gender have become an important agenda for our President. In addressing the issues of equity and equality, Government has also come up with deliberate policies to help women have more allocations when it comes to scholarships at various levels as education is a game-changer in the world.
“This is why we have women at the helm of leadership in our county starting with the Vice President who has become the role model to the young women,” Mrs. Mumbi said.
Issued by Bennie Mundando
First Secretary
Press Zambia High Commission
New Delhi- India