Chibesa Kankasa

Chibesa Kankasa, often known as Mama Kankasa (1936-2018), was a Zambian freedom fighter and politician, born at Lubwa Mission in Chinsali. She was the sixth child of Yotam Chibesakunda, a carpenter, and Chilufya Mununga Mutale Chibwe. In 1941, her family moved to Chalimbana and later to Kitwe. She attended Mingolo Girls Boarding School and trained as a social worker, focusing on matrimonial and juvenile delinquency cases. Kankasa worked as a social worker from 1951 to 1961 and married Timothy Kankasa in 1952. Quotes "I went to the labor office to submit my maternity leave papers, "Two men there told me to wait outside while they handled it for me." "I waited for hours, sensing something was wrong. During my previous two pregnancies, my leave had been approved within minutes. I was pregnant during those protests, and when I sat on the box with the bullets, they didn’t dare touch me— even the colonial police had a certain respect for pregnant women. "I consider this medal not as mine alone, but as an honor for the nation, for my late husband who played a vital role in the liberation struggle, and for my children who endured hardships alongside me." External Links Biography Category:1936 births Category:Government ministers Category:Labor leaders Category:Women politicians in Zambia