FORMER first lady, Maureen Mwanawasa has challenged women to be wheels of economic development for the country.

Dr Mwanawasa said it was important that women helped in turning various economic activities into viable businesses.

She said women must not look down upon themselves but see themselves as economic driving tools.

Dr Mwanawasa was speaking in Kitwe at Hotel Edinburgh during the Professional Secretaries Association of Zambia (PSAZ) Secretary of the Year Preliminary contest.

She said gender consciousness should continue to be established when promoting diversified ways of employment and solve the new problems in women's employment.

The increasing unemployment levels in the country had caused women to be violated even sexually.

She said the employment opportunities offered by the job market were limited, hence women taking up low level, temporal or casual jobs.

Women's professional training must be strengthened to improve their skills and make them competitive on the market.

"I think there must be at least established social employment support systems that will help disadvantaged women seek employment," Dr Mwanawasa said.

She said unemployed people lived difficult lives where women continued to suffer because of the unsound social security system.

It was high time women advanced their studies and not just relying on one profession but that they must be dynamic to suit the dynamic world of business.

The former first lady challenged the media to communicate to the authorities about issues of poverty and unemployment affecting women.

She said the media were supposed to understand that women's opportunities for development and gaining social status were not as abundant as those of men.

"I challenge the media to ensure that they communicate issues of women more often than they are doing now," Dr Mwanawasa said.

PSAZ president, Cyller Nkonde said the association was disappointed that most of the employers had no regard for secretaries.

Mrs Nkonde said PSAZ was pursuing to have a bill passed in Parliament so that they were recognised as professionals and issue practicing certificates to its members.

She said a few employers who regarded secretaries as their partners were able to give secretaries more challenging jobs.

Secretaries had also started advancing in their education, thereby beginning to tackle more challenging duties apart from the usual typing.

Mrs Nkonde said most employers were conversant with today's technology and did not appreciate shoddy works from their secretaries.