Government has reaffirmed its commitment to end poverty in the country, through effective social protection measures and policies.

Minister of Community Development and Social Services, Ms. Doreen Mwamba, said the New Dawn Administration is keen to see that people live dignified lives by ending poverty, which restricts opportunities, diminishes human dignity, and perpetuates inequality.

She was speaking during the Civil Society for Poverty Reduction (CSPR), organized commemoration of the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, under the theme, “Decent Work and Social Protection: Putting Dignity in Practice for All”.

She said the theme, conveys the idea of promoting and ensuring that all individuals have access to fair, equitable, and dignified employment opportunities, as well as social protection measures that safeguard their well-being and basic needs.

Ms. Mwamba further said Government has since put in place various measures such as the 8th National Development Plan (8NDP), as well as debt restructuring, to tackle poverty, emphasizing that poverty eradication, is not an isolated effort, but requires collective action, cooperation, and partnerships, not only within the country’s borders, but also on a global scale.

“Government is committed to the development and implementation of policies, programs, and initiatives aimed at ensuring that citizens have access to decent work and social protection”, she further said.

And speaking at the same event, Zambia National Women’s Lobby executive director Juliet Chibuta acknowledged the several Social protection and labor policies and programmes that government has put in place to address poverty, and hailed the continued budget increase to Social protection as it has been able to provide support to more people who need it.