Speaker of the National Assembly of Zambia, The Right Honourable Nelly B. K Mutti, SC, MP, FAPRA has unveiled the foundation stone for the construction of the Nelly Mutti Creche, that will provide day-care services to parents, both parliamentarians and staff, with a call to employers to adopt family-friendly policies. Speaker Mutti has also made a call to cooperating partners to come on board and support this initiative of constructing the Creche which is projected to cost just over Eight Million Kwacha of which one million and five hundred thousand Zambian Kwacha has been mobilized so far. The Speaker has further called on private and government institutions to adopt family-friendly policies at workplaces, including access to daycare and lactation support, which can go a long way in reducing the obstacles that women face to equitable participation in workplaces. Speaking ahead of the unveiling ceremony at Parliament grounds, Speaker Mutti said that child care is an integral pillar that supports a thriving economy and therefore, there was need for child care services at work places in order to enhance the productivity of women who are the primary care givers. “While both men and women can, and do, play the role of childcare giver, it is usually women who are primary caregivers, especially in our culture with strong gender norms. For women, particularly, this affects their productivity at work, and acts as a barrier to them achieving their full potential in work places. In fact, some women have opted to take up part-time jobs or drop out of the work force entirely in order to take care of their children. This is a huge loss of valuable human capital, that could, otherwise, contribute to the growth of the economy,” Speaker Mutti said. And Chawama Member of Parliament, Hon. Tasila Lungu, who is a new mother, said she was proud to unveil the foundation stone for the Nelly Mutti Creche. Honourable Lungu said she was humbled not just as a female Member of Parliament but as a mother to witness this moment which described as a powerful symbol of progress, inclusivity, and the recognition that care giving and leadership can and must co-exist. Also speaking at the same event, Chairperson of the Zambia Women Parliamentarians Caucus (ZWPC), Hon. Chushi Kasanda said that the establishment of the Creche was not just about providing childcare services, but also, an indication of the collective commitment to gender-responsive policies, family-friendly workplaces, and the empowerment of women in the workplace. Hon. Kasanda, who is Member of Parliament for Chisamba Constituency narrated how she faced challenges in fulfilling parental duties when she gave birth in 2017. “In 2017, as a sitting Member of Parliament, I faced significant challenges in fulfilling my parental duties after giving birth. During the first five months, I had to excuse myself from parliamentary proceedings and other official duties to drive home and breastfeed my baby,” Hon. Kasanda bemoaned. Hon. Kasanda commended Speaker Mutti for the Creche initiative saying that it serves as a beacon of progress and a legacy for future generations of parliamentarians and staff.