Overview
The National Gender Policy (2014), issued by the Ministry of Gender and Child Development, provides Zambia with a revised framework to promote gender equity and equality across all sectors of national development. It updates the 2000 Gender Policy to address new challenges such as rising Gender-Based Violence (GBV), HIV/AIDS feminisation, child marriages, human trafficking, drug abuse, climate change, and persistent gender gaps in decision-making.
The policy seeks to ensure equal opportunities for women and men to actively participate in, contribute to, and benefit equitably from Zambia’s socio-economic development.
Vision
A nation where there is gender equity and equality for sustainable development.
Rationale
The 2014 revision was necessitated by:
- Gaps in implementing the 2000 policy.
- Emerging issues such as GBV, HIV/AIDS, drug trafficking, and climate change.
- Persistent gender imbalances in leadership and resource access.
- Zambia’s commitments under regional and international conventions such as CEDAW, the SADC Protocol on Gender and Development, and the Beijing Platform for Action.
Guiding Principles
The policy is anchored on:
- Equity & Equality – eliminating all forms of discrimination.
- Human Rights Approach – ensuring equal rights and opportunities.
- Accountability – public and private stakeholders must mainstream gender.
- Cultural Values – promote practices that respect both women and men.
- Transparency – openness in planning and implementation.
- Affirmative Action – deliberate strategies to bridge gender gaps.
Key Issues Addressed
1. Cross-Cutting Gender Challenges
- Poverty – disproportionately affects women, especially in rural and female-headed households.
- Decision-Making – women remain underrepresented in political, economic, and community leadership.
- Culture & Socialisation – harmful practices like early marriage, property grabbing, and initiation ceremonies perpetuate inequality.
- Gender-Based Violence (GBV) – widespread physical, sexual, and emotional abuse despite the Anti-GBV Act (2011).
- Child Marriages – Zambia has one of the highest rates globally, with 2 in 5 girls married before 18.
- HIV/AIDS & Health – higher prevalence among women; increasing cases of cervical and breast cancer.
- Climate Change – disproportionately impacts women reliant on natural resources for livelihoods.
2. Sector-Based Issues
- Education – dropout rates among girls remain high due to poverty, child marriage, and pregnancy.
- Health – high maternal mortality (483 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2010); poor access to reproductive services.
- Agriculture & Land – women provide 61% of farm labour but have limited access to land, credit, and inputs.
- Energy & Water – reliance on wood fuel and lack of clean water disproportionately burden women and girls.
- Labour & Employment – women concentrated in low-paying and informal jobs.
- Tourism & ICT – underrepresentation of women in high-growth sectors.
- Housing & Urbanisation – poor access to secure housing, sanitation, and tenure rights for women.
Policy Objectives & Measures
The policy sets broad strategies to:
- Mainstream gender across all government, private sector, and community programmes.
- Strengthen legal reforms to harmonise statutory and customary laws.
- Enhance women’s participation in leadership and decision-making.
- Scale up women’s access to education, skills training, and economic empowerment.
- Combat GBV, child marriage, and harmful traditional practices.
- Promote women’s access to land, housing, energy, ICT, and social protection services.
- Ensure gender-responsive climate change adaptation measures.
Institutional & Legal Framework
- Executive: Cabinet Office, Ministry of Gender and Child Development, and line ministries coordinate mainstreaming.
- Legislature & Judiciary: strengthen laws and adjudication of gender cases.
- Non-State Actors: NGOs, CSOs, faith-based organisations, and private sector partners support implementation.
- Legal Basis: Anchored in the Constitution and supported by laws such as the Anti-GBV Act (2011), Lands Act (1995), and other gender-related statutes.
Implementation & Financing
- Requires gender-responsive planning and budgeting at national and local levels.
- Relies on government resources, with supplementary support from cooperating partners and civil society.
- Monitoring and evaluation conducted through gender audits, national reviews, and sex-disaggregated data collection.
Expected Outcomes
The policy envisions:
- Reduced gender disparities in all sectors.
- Higher representation of women in leadership and decision-making.
- Decline in GBV, child marriages, and harmful cultural practices.
- Improved access to education, healthcare, and economic resources for women.
- A gender-responsive, equitable, and sustainable development path for Zambia
