VICE-President Guy Scott's wife Charlotte says Zambia is on course to meet the Southern African Development Community (SADC) quota to have at least 30 per cent of women in decision making positions.

Dr Scott said in Ndola that the Zambia Government has managed to appoint more women in senior positions of public institutions and ministries.

She was speaking at the ground breaking event for home empowerment project in Pamodzi Township on Monday.

"Women play an important role in any society. We have so many women in senior positions in the police service, Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) and others are permanent secretaries in various Government ministries," she said.

She urged women and other stakeholders to facilitate development process of less privileged communities through provision of decent shelter for those unable to afford.

Dr Scott, who is People's Process on Housing and Poverty in Zambia patron, called on women to demonstrate commitment and resolve towards challenges facing the poor members of society and collectively provide lasting solutions.

"We should find ways to leverage available resources for low cost housing and improve the living conditions of poor people. We need to work together with Government, private sector, academicians and all affected communities to plan and tackle housing challenges," she said.

She commended the Slum Dwellers International for initiating a housing project which is dubbed as Pine Groove and aims at empowering poor communities with decent housing.

Meanwhile, the Ndola City Council (NCC) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Peoples Process on Housing and Poverty in Zambia and Slum Dwellers International (SDI) that will facilitate the development of housing units for the poor communalities.

And the Vice-President's wife said the MOU would help address the shortage of housing units among poor communities

She said during the ground breaking ceremony at Pine Groove site were about 50 houses will be built for orphans and vulnerable people in Ndola that the resources for the housing project should be properly accounted and used for its intended purpose.

SDI vice-president Rose Molokoane said about 100 plots were given by the council for the construction of the houses.

Ndola Mayor Davies Chiwala said his council would support the project in accordance with the MOU and appealed to the other local authorities to consider such projects.