National Gender Policy 2023

REPUBLIC OF ZAMBIA NATIONAL GENDER POLICY 2023 3 | National Gender Policy 2023 TABLE OF CONTENTS FOREWORD ............................................................................................................................. 5 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .......................................................................................................... 6 WORKING DEFINITIONS ......................................................................................................... 7 ACRONYMS ............................................................................................................................. 9 CHAPTER ONE ..................................................................................................................... 10 1.0 INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................... 10 CHAPTER TWO ..................................................................................................................... 12 2.0 SITUATION ANALYSIS.............................................................................................. 12 2.1 ECONOMIC SECTOR .................................................................................... 12 2.1.1 Land ................................................................................................................ 12 2.1.2 Agriculture ..................................................................................................... 12 2.1.3 Tourism .......................................................................................................... 13 2.1.4 Entrepreneurship ............................................................................................ 13 2.1.5 Mining ............................................................................................................. 14 2.1.6 Energy ........................................................................................................... 14 2.1.7 Infrastructure .................................................................................................. 15 2.1.8 Transport ......................................................................................................... 15 2.1.9 Science and Technology ............................................................................... 15 2.2 SOCIAL SECTOR ........................................................................................... 16 2.2.1 Education ....................................................................................................... 16 2.2.2 Health ............................................................................................................ 17 2.2.3 Water and Sanitation ...................................................................................... 18 2.2.4 Social Protection ............................................................................................ 18 2.2.5 Employment and Labour ................................................................................ 19 2.2.6 Governance .................................................................................................... 20 2.2.7 Gender Based Violence ................................................................................ 20 2.3 COORDINATION, MONITORING AND EVALUATION ................................... 22 2.4 CROSS CUTTING ISSUES .............................................................................. 22 2.4.1 Climate Change .............................................................................................. 22 2.4.2 Disability ........................................................................................................ 22 National Gender Policy 2023 | 4 2.4.3 HIV and AIDS ................................................................................................. 23 CHAPTER THREE ................................................................................................................. 24 3.0 VISION, RATIONALE AND GUIDING PRINCIPLES ................................................. 24 3.1 VISION ............................................................................................................ 24 3.2 RATIONALE .................................................................................................... 24 3.3 GUIDING PRINCIPLES...................................................................................... 25 CHAPTER FOUR ................................................................................................................... 26 4.0 POLICY OBJECTIVES AND MEASURES ................................................................ 26 4.1 Policy Objectives ............................................................................................ 26 4.2 Policy Measures ............................................................................................. 26 CHAPTER FIVE ..................................................................................................................... 30 5.0 IMPLEMENTATION FRAMEWORK .......................................................................... 30 5.1 Institutional Arrangement ................................................................................ 30 5.2 Legal Framework ............................................................................................ 33 5.3 Resource Mobilisation and Financing ............................................................ 34 5.4 Monitoring and Evaluation .............................................................................. 34 5 | National Gender Policy 2023 FOREWORD Gender equity and equality is critical for the development of the country. Over the years, Government has prioritised gender equity and equality in development programmes. To achieve gender equity and equality, Government formulated and implemented the 2000 and 2014 National Gender Policies. The Constitution (Amendment) Act, No. 2 of 2016 was also enacted and provides for the equal worth of women and men and their rights to freely participate in, determine and build a sustainable political, legal, economic and social order. The Gender Equity and Equality Act, No. 22 of 2015 was also enacted to strengthen the legal framework for the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women and girls. Further, Government enacted the Children’s Code Act, No. 12 of 2022 which criminalises child marriages and is inclusive of all children regardless of their status. Gender equity and equality has also been a priority in national development plans. These efforts are in line with the Vision 2030 which aims at attaining a prosperous middle income nation. Despite these efforts, progress has been slow. Inequalities still persist in accessing productive resources and in decision making positions. This has resulted in increased vulnerability of women and girls thereby perpetuating gender based violence and child marriage, among others. The coordination of the implementation of interventions at all levels has also been inadequate. The 2023 National Gender Policy, therefore, seeks to accelerate the attainment of gender equity and equality. The Policy will strengthen the coordination of an integrated and multi-sectoral approach in the implementation of gender programmes across all sectors. The Policy will also enhance the participation of women in economic activities through, among others, creating an enabling environment that provides equitable access to productive and economic resources in conjunction with the private sector. This will enhance equitable distribution of opportunities and national resources between women and men, girls and boys for poverty reduction and national development. This is in line with international, continental and regional commitments which Zambia is a party to. I, therefore, call upon every woman, man, girl and boy to be part of the movement that seeks to reduce gender inequalities in our beloved country, Zambia. Hakainde Hichilema PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF ZAMBIA National Gender Policy 2023 | 6 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This National Gender Policy was developed through a consultative and participatory process involving key stakeholders representing the different needs and aspirations of both men and women across the country. I wish to acknowledge the financial and technical support that the Gender Division received to facilitate the preparation of the Policy. Special thanks go to line ministries, Cooperating Partners, Civil Society and Faith Based Organisations, and traditional leaders for actively participating in the formulation of this Policy. I also wish to thank the Technical Working Group that coordinated the preparation of the Policy. I am confident that all stakeholders will actively participate in the implementation of this Policy so that the aspirations and vision on gender equity and equality are achieved. Patrick K. Kangwa SECRETARY TO THE CABINET 7 | National Gender Policy 2023 WORKING DEFINITIONS Affirmative Action Special measures aimed at creating state of equality between females and males through implementation of deliberate strategies aimed at elevating the status of the disadvantaged. Child Marriage Marriage of children below the age of 19 years. Culture The distinctive patterns of ideas, beliefs, and norms which characterise the way of life and relations of a society or group within a society. Cultural Practices Functional roles and rituals which are culturally determined and may be assigned to the sexes. Customary Laws Laws based on tradition and may be influenced by public opinion in a society about standards governing behaviour or what society considers as a norm. Disability A permanent physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairment that alone or in a combination with social or environmental barriers, hinders the ability of a person to fully or effectively participate in society on an equal basis with others. Empowerment The process of gaining access to resources and developing one’s capabilities with a view to participating actively in shaping one’s own life and that of one’s community in economic, socio cultural, political and religious terms. Gender The roles, duties and responsibilities which are culturally or socially ascribed to women, men, girls and boys. Gender Analysis Is a systematic gathering and examination of information on gender differences and social relations to identify, understand and redress inequalities based on gender. Gender Based Violence Means any physical, mental, emotional, social or economic abuse against a person because of that person’s gender and includes sexual or psychological harm or suffering to the person, threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or private life. Gender Blind Is inability to perceive that there are different gender roles, needs, responsibilities of men, women, boys and girls, and as a result failure to realise that policies, programmes and projects can have different impact on women, men, girls and boys. Gender Equality Denotes women having the same opportunities in life as men, including the ability to participate in the public sphere. Gender Equity Is the equivalence in life outcomes for women and men, recognising their different needs and interests, and requiring a redistribution of power and resources. Gender Gap Refers to disparities between men and women in terms of their levels of participation, access to resources, remunerations, benefits etc. National Gender Policy 2023 | 8 Gender Inequality Index A composite measure reflecting inequality in achievements between women and men in three dimensions: reproductive health, empowerment and the labour market. The GII varies between 0 (when women and men fair equally) and 1 (when men or women fair poorly compared to the other in all dimensions) Gender Mainstreaming Ensures women, men, girls and boys benefit equally from the development process by highlighting the impacts of policies, programmes and laws on the real situation of women, men, girls and boys. Gender Parity Index Is a measure that assesses and compares the level of participation of women and men undertaking development. Gender Planning and Budgeting Acknowledges the gender patterns in society and develops policies/programmes and allocates money that will change these patterns in a way that moves towards a more gender equal society. Gender Roles Functional responsibilities which are assigned by society and are influenced by cultural, political, religious or economic situation and vary from region to region, within cultures and change over time. Gender Sensitive Is considering the impact of policies, projects and programmes on men, women, boys and girls and trying to mitigate the negative consequences thereof. School Related Gender Based Violence Acts or threats of sexual, physical, or psychological violence occurring in and around schools, perpetrated because of gender norms and stereotypes and enforced by unequal power dynamics. Sex Refers to the biological characteristics which define humans as female or male based on their reproductive make-up. Sexual Exploitation An actual or attempted abuse of someone's position of vulnerability (such as a person depending on another person for survival, food rations, school, books, transport or other services), differential power or trust, to obtain sexual favours, including but not only, by offering money or other social, economic or political advantages. Sexual Harassment Unwelcome and unwanted sexual advances, requests for sexual favours, and other verbal or physical contact of a sexual nature that creates a hostile or offensive environment. Sex disaggregated data Collection and separation of statistical data by sex to enable comparative analysis. Sex Roles Responsibilities which females and males perform based on their biological makeup. 9 | National Gender Policy 2023 ACRONYMS BPfA Beijing Platform for Action CEDAW Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women 8NDP Eighth National Development Plan GBV Gender Based Violence GII Gender Inequality Index GSR Gender Status Report LFS Labour Force Survey LCMS Living Conditions Monitoring Survey MPSAs Ministries, Provinces and Spending Agencies MSMEs Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises NGP National Gender Policy SADC Southern Africa Development Community SDGs Sustainable Development Goals STEM Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics ZP - VSU Zambia Police -Victim Support Unit ZDHS Zambia Demographic Health Survey National Gender Policy 2023 | 10 CHAPTER ONE 1.0 INTRODUCTION Zambia has prioritised gender equity and equality in its developmental agenda. Gender is a concept that describes the roles, duties and responsibilities which are culturally or socially ascribed to women, men, girls and boys. Gender equity and equality, therefore, is critical for enhancing inclusive development in order to reduce vulnerability and all gender related ills. In order to enhance gender equity and equality, Government formulated the 2000 National Gender Policy which aimed at achieving full participation of both women and men in the development process. The second National Gender Policy was formulated in 2014 and focused on strengthening the capacity of the gender machinery at national, provincial and district levels as well as key civil society organisations. It also facilitated the establishment of platforms for improving protection of women’s social, cultural, economic and political rights. The Policy also led to the review and reform of the Gender Equity and Equality Act, No. 22 of 2015 to strengthen the legal framework for the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women and girls. There have been some achievements in attaining gender equity and equality. These include the increase in the completion rates of girls at both primary and secondary levels of education, reduction in child marriages, increased awareness on gender matters, increased participation of women in key decision making positions and the appointment of the first female Vice President, Chief Justice and Speaker of the National Assembly. However, progress has been low. Representation of women in key decision making positions, and access to productive resources and participation in economic activities have been low. Gender based violence, child marriages and teenage pregnancies have remained high. Patriarchal tendencies, cultural and social norms remain factors contributing to power imbalances between men, women and other vulnerable groups thereby negatively affecting human and social development. This National Gender Policy, therefore, seeks to accelerate the attainment of gender equity and equality. The Policy will strengthen the coordination of an integrated and multi-sectoral approach in the implementation of gender programmes across all sectors. The Policy will also enhance the participation of women in economic activities through, among others, creating an enabling environment that provides equitable access to productive and economic resources in conjunction with the private sector. This will enhance equitable distribution of opportunities and national resources between women and men, girls and boys for poverty reduction and national development. The Policy is aligned to the National Development Plans and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as well as the Vision 2030 which aims at attaining a prosperous middle income nation. The Policy is also aligned to the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, SADC Protocol on Gender and Development, the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa (Maputo Protocol) and other instruments. This Policy is divided into five Chapters. The first Chapter is the Introduction which highlights how the National Gender Policy has evolved over time. The second Chapter is the Situation Analysis which provides a critical analysis and review of the existing situation in each sector and is divided in three sections: Social Sector, Economic Sector, and Cross-cutting Issues. The third Chapter covers the Vision, Rationale and Guiding Principles. The Vision articulates the aspiration for gender equity and equality, the Rationale provides the justification for the Policy while the Guiding Principles outline the fundamental values upon which the policy objectives 11 | National Gender Policy 2023 have been based. Chapter four is composed of the Policy Objectives and Measures while Chapter five provides the Implementation Framework. National Gender Policy 2023 | 12 CHAPTER TWO 2.0 SITUATION ANALYSIS According to the 2022 Census of Population and Housing, Zambia’s population stands at 19,610,769 out of which 10,007,713 were female while 9,603,056 were male. This translates to 51.0 percent for female and 49.0 percent male. Zambia improved its ranking among countries with high levels of gender inequalities from 167 in 2011 to 154 in 2022 out of 189 countries in the world due to enhanced women empowerment programmes and reproductive health services. This is evidenced by the 2022 Gender Inequality Index (GII) of 0.540 from 0.627 in 2011. Despite this improvement, women’s participation in the development process remains low. 2.1 ECONOMIC SECTOR 2.1.1 Land Zambia has a dual land system of ownership namely state and customary. The Lands Act provides for the consideration of women with regard to state land, but does not apply to customary land. With regard to customary land, land ownership does not provide women with significant land rights, and even when it does, traditional institutions often do not effectively implement the rules. To address gender inequality in access to and ownership of land, Government developed an affirmative action for reserving 50 per cent of all land on offer for women, in line with the Revised 2016 SADC Protocol on Gender and Development. In 2017, of a total of 17,392 offers for land, 12,103 were given to men, with women receiving 5,289. In 2018, of a total of 16,043 offers, 11,214 were given to men and 4,829 to women. Further, in 2019, a total of 25,598 offers were given, with men receiving 16,715, while women received 8,883. The low number of women that managed to process the acquisition of state land was due to lower education levels, limited access to credit, poverty levels, lack of information on acquisition of land and security of tenure, which makes the cost of acquiring and developing of state land beyond their reach. With regards to customary land, men have been dominating the allocation, inheritance and use of land. According to the Living Conditions Monitoring Survey of 2015, nearly half (47percent) widows were dispossessed of their late husband’s property. This has been reinforced by the fact that customary land is excluded from the statutory laws governing inheritance and succession and must be inherited in accordance with the customary law of the area as well as the kinship system, that is, whether matrilineal or patrilineal. Although most women have access to land, through their fathers, husbands, brothers, or sons, they do not have control over land. A common customary practice under the patrilineal system is that when the husband dies, the family of the deceased will claim the land and request that the widow leave, a practice often labelled as ‘property-grabbing’, a form of economic GBV. 2.1.2 Agriculture Agriculture remains a priority sector for fostering sustainable economic growth and poverty reduction. Although women supply 55 percent of labour for agricultural activities, most women participate in the agriculture sector as contributing family workers or are engaged in informal and seasonal employment which provide little opportunity for economic security. Government 13 | National Gender Policy 2023 has been supporting the women’s participation in agriculture through the Food Security Pack (FSP) and Farmers Input Support Programme (FISP). Agricultural extension officers have been oriented to promote gender equality among rural households in accessing the FSP and FISP. However, pervasive gender inequalities in the division of labour, decision-making and access to and control over productive resources, limit women's positive contributions in the agricultural sector and ultimately affect agricultural production. According to the Rural Agricultural Livelihood Survey of 2019, women in male-headed households have limited influence on how the land and the income from farming activities is used. Only 8.6 percent of women decide how to use the income from the sale of maize. Even for crops that are considered as “female’s crops” such as groundnuts, cowpeas and sweet potatoes, women’s decision-making power is low. In addition, male-headed households are more likely to own land, livestock and equipment as well as adopting improved agricultural technologies compared to female-headed households. Women farmers are registered as spouses under male-headed households. This often results in less attention being paid to access and control of productive resources. Furthermore, there has been inadequate access to services such as agriculture extension services and information on markets as compared to men. 2.1.3 Tourism Tourism is one of the economic sectors that contributes 7 percent to GDP. This sector has the potential to provide entry points of livelihoods for women and men. Both women and men have the potential to plan and establish tourism products and businesses based on the wealth of cultural heritage across Zambia which include handicrafts, folklore, dances and other products. Government has been promoting the participation of women in this sector through gender-sensitive marketing that includes showcasing women’s contributions in the industry in promotional materials and campaign and supported partnerships with financial institutions that provide loans and financial resources to women-owned tourism enterprises among others. However, women’s participation in the sector has been limited due to inadequate skills and access to finance to invest in the tourism sector. 2.1.4 Entrepreneurship The participation of women in entrepreneurship is important in attaining gender equality. To enhance women’s participation in commerce and trade, Government has been building capacities of women in entrepreneurship and financial literacy skills and providing funds. Over 90 percent of MSMEs operate in the informal sector of which the majority are women and incomes are low. According to the International Trade Centre SME Competitiveness Survey 2018, women- owned MSMEs in Zambia represent 30 percent of the total MSMEs. Government has put in place measures to enhance the participation of women in entrepreneurship such as the implementation of economic empowerment programmes, women tailor made business skills training, women start-up capital through grants and loans, as well as capital equipment. However, according to the Gender Status Report of 2019, participation in the mining and quarry sector comprised of 85 percent males and 10 percent females. Out of a total of 1.5 6 million persons aged 15 or older who own businesses, 47.4 were females. The participation of women in commerce remains low due to inadequate entrepreneurial and financial literacy skills as well as limited access to capital arising from prohibitive conditions. There has also been limited implementation of preferential contractual system to promote women’s businesses. Further, women have inadequate social security and access to business National Gender Policy 2023 | 14 development services. In addition, women owned businesses have rarely been contracted in high income sectors such as mining, construction, transportation and agri-business. 2.1.5 Mining Zambia is endowed with vast mineral resources and mining is the country’s major foreign exchange earner. Despite this, the number of women participating in and benefiting from the sector has been low. Most women participating in mining are clustered in the informal sector and particularly in Artisanal and Small Scale Mining (ASM) sub-sector. The study on Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining (ASM) of 2019, revealed that of all the mines owned in the ASM sector, 17 percent were owned by women while 83 percent were owned by men. The involvement of women in Zambia’s ASM sector is hindered by a number of challenges. These include limited access to mining licences, inadequate information and financial support to enable women procure basic mining equipment and cultural norms that hinder their participation in the sector. 2.1.6 Energy Government recognises the impact of the energy sector on gender and the essential role it plays in the lives of women, men, girls, and boys. In 2022, Government launched the Gender Equality Strategy and Action Plan (GESAP) to advance gender equality and non-discrimination in the sector. The GESAP identifies clean cooking as a key energy need among women, especially in rural areas where 80 percent of households use firewood for cooking. Women spend more time as compared to men on wood fuel collection and cooking, while the time and distance covered in search of firewood exposes them to gender based violence. They are also vulnerable to the harmful health impacts of air pollution as they spend more than twice as much time cooking or in the cooking area compared to men. The levels of access to electricity by female and male headed households is dependent on the technology (on-grid/off-grid access) and residence location, urban or rural. According to LCMS of 2015, statistics showed that out of the 32.2 percent male-headed households who had access to on-grid electricity at national level, 5.0 percent and 68.9 percent were in rural and urban areas. Further, out of the 28.5 percent female-headed households at national level, 2.4 percent and 62.1 percent were in rural and urban areas respectively. In addition, 8.5 percent and 0.9 percent of male-headed households had access to off-grid electricity compared to 3.8 percent and 0.6 percent of female-headed households in rural and urban areas. In off-grid areas, there is a significant gender gap as male-headed households are almost four times more likely to have access to electricity compared to female-headed households through solar-home systems or solar lanterns. This gender gap could be a result of female-headed households having inadequate information and access to renewable energy technologies that can provide clean and affordable access to energy. To address these disparities, Government has been targeting to electrify 60 percent of rural areas through solar-home systems (SHS) in order to provide clean and affordable access to energy. The SHS can only power low load appliances and not electric stoves or hotplates. Thus, this intervention fails to address women’s energy needs related to clean cooking. This is compounded by limited resources to purchase and access such technologies or services. 2.1.7 Infrastructure Government has been undertaking significant infrastructure development in health, education, transport, communication, agriculture, tourism sectors among others. The participation of women has been low in the construction sector. There have been few women trained in construction. In 2019, of the total 18,975 enrolled in construction courses, 95 percent were men as compared 15 | National Gender Policy 2023 to 5 percent women. To improve enrolments, the National Construction School reduced enrolment fees for women and has been conducting awareness on construction related courses in girls’ schools to encourage women participation. However, participation remains low due to limited skills and access to capital. Additionally, most infrastructure designs have been gender blind as they do not provide for facilities suitable to women. 2.1.8 Transport The transport sector is key for sustainable development as it broadens access to health and education services, employment, exchange of information and promoting social cohesion. The country has been facing challenges in people’s mobility and movement of goods and services due to poor transport infrastructure particularly in rural areas. During the rainy season, poor transport infrastructure poses a huge challenge in transporting and accessing agriculture produce, accessing education, health facilities and other social services. Women have been facing transport challenges due to limited public transport especially in rural areas. Government has integrated gender considerations into its transport policies and programmes by promoting women's employment in traditionally male-dominated roles within the sector, such as driving, engineering, and management. Government has been designing and building transportation infrastructure that is safe and accessible for both genders as well as conducting sensitisation and training for transport officials and workers on providing better services to women and addressing any challenges they may face while using transportation services. In rural and urban areas, safety of women particularly in early hours and late at night face protection risks especially gender based violence. Availability and costs related to transport also affect school age children, who frequently have to walk long distances, exposing them to protection risks and missing classes. According to the 2019 Gender Status Report, women shun to work in the transport sector because of the deep rooted gender biases, harsh conditions that do not consider the specific needs of women transporters, as well as the exploitation and harassment in the sector, which is seen as an area of work for men. 2.1.9 Science and Technology The application of science and technology is very crucial for sustainable development. To promote participation of women in Science and Technology, Government has been implementing affirmative action through the provision of scholarships for females intending to undertake courses in science and technology. Despite these efforts, the participation of women has been hampered by the low enrolment levels in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). Enrolments in engineering, manufacturing and construction show that 72 percent were males while 28 percent were females. For natural sciences, mathematics and statistics, 67 percent of the enrolled were male while 33 percent were females. Further, more males than females graduated from science-related fields in 2019. The fields of engineering, manufacturing and construction had 718 males (64.7 percent) and 391 females (35.3 percent) of the total number of graduates. This is due to lack of female role models to motivate young learners and long held beliefs that STEM courses are difficult for girls. National Gender Policy 2023 | 16 2.1.9.1 Information, Communication and Technology Zambia has made significant strides in Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) sector. The spread of ICT and the promotion of a digital economy, as well as the general advancement of knowledge and skills in ICT have great potential to accelerate human capital and ingenuity and to bridge the digital divide and develop innovative societies. According to the Zambia Information, Communication and Technology Authority (ZICTA) 2018 National Survey, most internet users were males constituting 52.1 percent of all the users of the internet compared to females who constituted 47.9 percent. Government has been investing in ICT infrastructure and increasing access to services. However, few women and youth have access to smartphones and computers with internet connectivity and are unlikely to harness significant benefit from the technology due to high cost of devices and internet services as well as low levels of literacy among women. Further, the use of ICT has been threatened by an increase in cybercrimes such as cyberbullying. 2.2 SOCIAL SECTOR 2.2.1 Education Education is an important sector where gender equality is required because it enables those left furthest behind to move towards a better trajectory. Inclusive access to education especially at tertiary level is important for the achievement of gender parity in other socio-economic sectors. Limited access to formal education impacts women more negatively than their male counterparts. Progress in closing gender gaps in education has been steady and sustained at primary, secondary, and tertiary. During enrolment at primary, there is gender parity, however, as pupils progress to upper primary and secondary, the completion rates of boys and girls start to decline. The completion rates are good for grades 7 and 9. According to the 2018 ZDHS report, the completion rate was 99.8 percent for girls and 94.8 percent for boys at grade 7. Completion rates at grade 9 were 77.3 percent for girls and 76.6 percent for boys. However, at grade 12 the completion rates begin to significantly decline. For instance, in 2018 the completion rates were 31.6 percent for girls and 40.4 percent for boys. The decline in completion rates particularly for girls could be attributed to several factors which include, teenage pregnancy, child marriage, distance to schools and inadequate boarding facilities, school fees, economic constraints, lack of menstrual hygiene facilities, lack of safe learning environment and low value placed by some communities on girls’ receiving a secondary education especially in rural areas. In an effort to reduce the high dropout rates among girls and encourage them to go back to school, the Re-entry Policy was introduced in 1997 and affirmed into the Education Act, No. 23 of 2011. However, its implementation has been marred with challenges despite statistics showing 56 percent of the 15,724 girls who dropped out of school in 2019 due to pregnancy were readmitted. Reviews of the effectiveness of the Policy have revealed that re-admission has been affected some schools not applying the Policy, some girls that have been unwilling to get back to school due to stigma and challenges related to child care once they are back in school and the inadequate enforcement mechanisms. Zambia has made progress in achieving gender parity in some faculties of university education and skills development. There has been an increase in female participation in commercially oriented fields such as humanities, business and education, accounting for 50 percent. 17 | National Gender Policy 2023 However, according to the National Higher Education Policy of 2019, there has been low female representation in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) courses, which accounts for 25 percent of all learners. This may be attributed to long held beliefs that STEM courses are difficult for girls. 2.2.2 Health Gender inequalities remain a major issue in the quest to achieve improved health outcomes. The consequences of poor health and poor health delivery systems especially sexual and reproductive health services (SRHS) affect women more than men. Knowledge of at least one family planning method is widespread across age groups and genders. According to ZDHS of 2018, information on SRHS was readily available among adolescents, 98.1 percent of girls and 96.1 percent of boys. However, the unmet need for family planning stood at 58.8 percent among unmarried women in the 15-49 years old age group, which was the highest in all age groups. Access to family planning products and services such as contraceptives remained significantly low at 12 percent compared to the adult population at 48 percent. Young people have been highly vulnerable to sexual exploitation and cross generational sex, which has made it difficult for young girls to negotiate for safer sex with their older partners. This is due to cultural and social norms and beliefs among others. Adolescents have been prone to other physical vulnerabilities that make them more susceptible to maternal complications that may result in death. According to the 2018 ZDHS, 9.1 percent of girls have been getting married at the age of 15. The percentage of teenagers who began childbearing was higher in rural areas at 37 percent compared to 19 percent in urban areas. It undermines girls’ human rights and compromises their opportunity to fully realise their socio economic development potential. Teenagers who have early exposure to sexual intercourse are at high risk of pregnancy and childbearing. The high teenage pregnancies can be attributed to the absence, inaccessibility, or inefficiency of adolescent-friendly and responsive family planning services in both urban and rural areas as well as delays in decision making on using family planning products and services. In Zambia, maternal mortality is one of the major contributing factors to morbidity and mortality levels. According to the ZDHS 2018, the Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) reduced from 483 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2010 to 252 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2018. Factors that contributed to maternal related problems and the resultant mortalities include high incidences of child or teenage pregnancies and malnutrition amongst girls and women; negative cultural practices; distance to health facilities coupled with the shortage of skilled health personnel that would provide quality service and ability to handle pregnancy or delivery complications, and high numbers of home deliveries as opposed to institutional or health facility deliveries. 2.2.3 Water and Sanitation Water and sanitation are key for social and economic development. Government has been implementing a number of interventions to improve water supply and sanitation services such as construction of boreholes, water reticulation systems and water kiosks, construction of sanitation facilities and sensitising the communities on the importance of hygiene. According to ZDHS 2018, 72 percent of households had access to an improved water source, although access was more predominant in urban (92 percent) than rural (58 percent) households. The percentage of households with an improved source of drinking water had increased over time, from 63 percent in 1992 to 72 percent in 2018. Further, 33 percent of the population had basic sanitation services, 41 percent in urban areas and 28 percent in rural areas. National Gender Policy 2023 | 18 Despite these improvements, access to safe water and sanitation has been low. This has been due to low investments in water and sanitation services as well as the low participation of women in decision making regarding the construction and management of water and sanitation facilities at community level and limited sex disaggregated data for appropriate intervention. Girls and women are particularly affected by poor WASH conditions. The burden of collecting water, which is often the responsibility of women and girls, leads to loss of their productivity, attendance or enrollment in school and leisure time. Further, it increases protection risks including sexual violence, and the lack of improved toilets negatively impacts their dignity. Furthermore, the need for water in terms of other household chores and for menstrual hygiene purposes is more compounded during extreme weather conditions. 2.2.4 Social Protection Poverty still remains a challenge for many families in Zambia. According to the 2022 Poverty Assessment in Zambia by the Zambia Statistics Agency, the incidence of poverty was estimated at 60 percent. Poverty in Zambia still remains predominantly a rural phenomenon with poverty levels at 78.8 percent compared to 31.9 percent in urban areas. Further, there were higher levels of poverty for households that are female headed at 63.4 percent compared to those headed by their male counterparts at 58.8 percent. In order to reduce poverty levels, particularly among women and other vulnerable persons, Government has prioritised livelihood and empowerment programmes, particularly those that target women, aimed at uplifting the living standards through the provision of financial and material grants, mentorship and saving groups, life and business skills. Government has also prioritised both the provision of regular targeted social assistance programmes through the Social Cash Transfer (SCT) Scheme, the Public Welfare Assistance Scheme (PWAS), and livelihood and empowerment through Food Security Pack (FSP), Supporting Women’s Livelihoods (SWL) and other Women Empowerment Programmes. For instance, under the SCT Programme in 2019, there were 632,327 beneficiaries of which 465,804 (73.7 percent) were women and 166,523 (26.3 percent) were men. The evaluation of the programme found that beneficiaries experienced notable improvements in their lives, including reduced hunger and better school attendance for children. With regards to FSP, 33,891 females compared to 20,771 males benefited from the programme in the 2018/2019 farming season. In addition to social protection programmes being implemented by Government, village banking and savings groups have been growing such that they have established themselves and enhanced the inclusion of women and the vulnerable in the financial market. This has enhanced their social protection. It has been observed that more women participate in village banking and savings groups than their male counterparts. Despite these interventions, women continue to experience high poverty levels, low income, unsustainable income generating activities due to inadequate entrepreneurship skills and limited access to microfinance credit schemes. Other challenges include high illiteracy levels among women, weak legal and regulatory framework, negative gender and social norms related to decision making at household level. 2.2.5 Employment and Labour Employment and labour market institutions and policies are critical for creating productive and sustainable jobs. Inclusive access to employment and income opportunities is critical for economic growth, poverty reduction and social progress. Government has provided an 19 | National Gender Policy 2023 enabling legal framework in relation to employment and labour, which include provisions for both maternity and paternity leave, nursing breaks and minimum wage. The Labour Force Survey (LFS) of 2020, revealed that there were 66.8 percent of men and 33.2 percent of women employed in the formal sector. In the informal sector, men and women accounted for 56.4 percent and 43.6 percent of employment respectively. Women accounted for 68.8 percent of unpaid contributing family workers. Unemployment rate was higher for females than males. The employment-to-population ratio had significantly reduced from 71.1 percent in 2016 to 30.9 percent in 2019. The ratio had proportionately reduced between sexes from 73.1 percent in 2016 to 23.2 percent in 2019 for women and from 70.6 percent in 2016 to 39.4 percent in 2019 for men. Further, the employment to population reduced to 30.2 percent in 2020 with males at 38.5 percent and females at 22.7 percent. There has been greater reduction in the proportion of women in employment than men. The employment rate for women has been low compared to men in many sectors and has been concentrated in low skilled jobs. This disproportionate representation of women is detrimental to progress towards improving economic development anchored in inclusive participation. In the water, sanitation, and waste management sector, women comprised 4.2 percent of those employed while men accounted for 95.8 percent. In the tourism sector, women have been concentrated in the lowest paid category and lowest skilled jobs of the industry. The LFS 2020 shows that there were 71.2 percent women employed in the accommodation and food industry compared to 28.8 percent men. The sector demands long working hours coupled with the irregular working schedules that increase protection risks including sexual exploitation and abuse, negative coping mechanisms and negative perception towards women. Participation of women in the information and communication has been very low with 21.1 percent of females employed in comparison with their male counterparts at 78.9 percent. In the commerce, trade and industry sector, more women than men are employed as sales assistants in wholesale and retail trade. Further, the micro, small and medium enterprise sector employs 18 percent of the labour force with women accounting for 47 percent. With regards to the mining and quarry industry, there were 92.2 percent of males employed compared to 7.8 percent of females. In the construction sector, males dominated with 96.4 percent and 3.6 percent were female. The low employment rates for women across sectors could be attributed to low levels of education and skills including information technology, balancing their reproductive and productive roles, sexual harassment in the world of work, stereotyping and men’s low participation in reproductive roles. 2.2.6 Governance Government has been promoting gender equity and equality in decision making at both national and local government levels. Despite these efforts, inequalities have persisted with regards to representation in decision-making levels. The percentage of female Cabinet Ministers stood at 16 percent in 2022 while in 2016 the percentage of female Cabinet Ministers was 25 percent. In 2021, of the total Members of Parliament, 15.2 percent were female and 84.8 percent were male while in 2016 the female Members of Parliament were 16 percent and the males were 84 percent. For the local government Councillors elected in 2021, 8 percent were women and 92 percent were men and only 10 percent of elected Mayors or Council Chairpersons were women. National Gender Policy 2023 | 20 In 2018, state-owned enterprises management positions were dominated by men with 79 percent of management positions occupied by males and 21 percent for females. Further, in 2019, the country had 67.9 percent male Directors and 32.9 percent female Directors in the Civil Service. In 2019, 23.6 percent of Permanent Secretaries were female while 76.4 percent were male. Although the country recorded low female representation decision making positions, in 2015, Zambia had the first female Chief Justice. Among the Judges, 37.5 percent were male and 62.5 were female Judges in 2022. The number of female Magistrates remained low at 26.5 percent in comparison to male counterparts at 73.5 percent. After the 2016 General Election, Zambia had the first female Vice-President and the first female Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly. Additionally, the country has had important governance institutions such as Judiciary, Zambia Police, Anti-Corruption Commission and Financial Intelligence Centre being headed by women. Further, in 2021, the country had the second female to hold the Office of Vice President and the first female Speaker of the National Assembly. However, there has been low participation of women at all levels. The country has never had a female President, female Defence Chiefs, Secretary to Cabinet, Secretary to Treasury and Governor of the Bank of Zambia. The participation of women in decision-making through community structures and at household level has also been low. This can be attributed to lack of economic resources, low education levels, stereotyping, patriarchal cultural beliefs and political violence as well as absence of quota systems and affirmative action across public, private, political, civil and other organisations. 2.2.7 Gender Based Violence Gender Based Violence (GBV) has been recognised as a public health issue and a violation of human rights. Although GBV affects both sexes, most victims have been females, while the perpetrators have been predominantly males. This is due to the unequal power relations between men and women as well as boys and girls. To address GBV, Government has put in place pieces of legislation namely; the amended 2016 Constitution, the Anti-Gender Based Violence Act, No.1 of 2011, the Gender Equity and Equality Act, No.22 of 2015 and the Children’s Code Act, No.12 of 2022. Other measures implemented include community engagements and dialogues especially with traditional leaders and faith based organisations, the establishment of six fast track courts, sixty-four one stop centres, strengthening of the coordination system and development of GBV referral directories and dashboard. This resulted in increased knowledge of GBV and a reduced prevalence of physical violence against women aged 15 to 49 from 47 percent in 2007 to 36 percent in 2018. However, the incidences of GBV remain high. According to the Zambia Police Service - Victim Support Unit (ZP-VSU), 33,536 cases of Gender Based Violence were reported countrywide in 2022 compared with 20,540 GBV cases recorded in 2021 showing an increase of 12,996 cases translating to 63.3% increase. Out of the 33,536 reports, 24,290 were criminal cases while 9,246 were non-criminal reports translating to 72.4% and 27.6% respectively. 103 murder cases were recorded during the period under review. In terms of gender vulnerability, a total of 25,652 females representing 76.5% and 7,884 males representing 23.5% were abused during the period under review countrywide. During the second quarter of 2023 a total of 9,988 cases of Gender Based Violence (GBV) were reported countrywide compared to 7,589 GBV cases recorded in the second quarter of 2022 indicating an increase by 2,399 cases translating to a 31.61%. Out of the 9,988 cases reported, 7,321 were criminal cases while 2,667 were non-criminal cases translating to 73.3% and 26.7% respectively. Twenty-nine (29) were murder cases. The increasing cases of GBV may be attributed to increased sensitization, inadequate punishment for perpetuators, focus 21 | National Gender Policy 2023 on response as opposed to prevention, cultural acceptance of GBV, none reporting of cases, inadequate service provision, high number of cases being withdrawn from the police stations and the courts, and delayed disposal of GBV cases. Other challenges include a weak and uncoordinated GBV referral system, inadequate skills and staffing levels in facilities that provide GBV services, inadequate and inappropriate GBV facilities and a lack of a well-coordinated and centralised GBV Management Information System for decision making. School Related Gender Based Violence (SRGBV) have been widespread due to long distances to and from school, instances of sexual and physical violence whilst in school, and continued perpetuation of discriminatory social norms against female and male learners by teachers and fellow learners. SRGBV affects learner’s performance, attendance and erodes the safety of schools and surrounding environment. Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (SEA) has been prevalent in workplaces and communities. To address SEA, Government has been conducting sensitisations and advocacy in workplaces and communities. Despite these efforts, underreporting of sexual exploitation and abuse remains a challenge. This can be attributed to fear of losing needed material assistance, fear of stigmatisation, the threat of retribution or retaliation, inadequate knowledge on how to report and lack of faith in the response that an allegation of sexual abuse would receive. 2.2.7.1 Child Marriage Child marriage is driven by traditional practices and beliefs, low social status assigned to women and girls in society, harmful elements in initiation ceremonies for children who reach puberty, polygamy, poverty, girls’ barriers to completing their education and inconsistencies in laws on the minimum age for marriage. Additionally, teenage pregnancy is a driver of child marriage. To address child marriages, Government has enacted the Children’s Code Act and amended the Marriage Act to increase the age of a child from 16 to 19 years. It has also been conducting sensitisations through cultural resetting with traditional and community leaders, traditional counsellors, parents and guardians. Despite these interventions, child marriage continues to occur due to negative traditional and cultural norms, practices and beliefs as well as poverty. 2.3 COORDINATION, MONITORING AND EVALUATION Gender equity and equality is a cross cutting issue which needs to be addressed through an integrated and multi-sectoral approach. Interventions to enhance gender equity and equality have been implemented in all sectors as well as public, private, political, business, traditional, religious and civil society organisations. However, the implementation of gender programmes has over the years been inadequately coordinated. Most institutions have been mainstreaming gender in an isolated manner due to an inadequate coordination mechanism. This has limited the impact of the interventions which have been implemented. Further, the monitoring and evaluation of gender programmes and interventions has been inadequate. This has mainly been due to an inadequate structure, skills and resources for monitoring and evaluation. 2.4 CROSS CUTTING ISSUES 2.4.1 Climate Change The effects of climate change are critical for Zambia, where the majority of the people depend on agriculture for livelihoods. Deforestation and air pollution have greatly contributed to climate National Gender Policy 2023 | 22 change thereby impacting negatively on the agriculture and energy sectors. The resultant adverse impact on crops, livestock and fisheries has led to the reduction in agriculture productivity thereby contributing to food insecurity. Climate change adversely affects more women and girls than men and boys whose economic and social activities are largely dependent on the environment for food, wood fuel and water. Government has developed the Climate Change Gender Action Plan (ccGAP:ZM) aimed at creating coherence and increasing public awareness of Zambia’s climate change processes as well as mainstream gender considerations to guarantee that women and men can have access to, participate in, and benefit equally from climate change initiatives. Further, Government has been implementing interventions that include strengthening information management and early warning systems for better planning preparedness, integrating climate change risks into policies and programmes and raising awareness of environmental issues among others. The effects of climate change such as floods, droughts and increased disease burden have continued to affect more women and girls who spend more time on food and water collection, and caregiving than engaging in income generating activities. 2.4.2 Disability Disability is an important development issue with an increasing body of evidence showing that Persons with Disabilities are amongst the most marginalised groups that experience worse socio-economic outcomes and poverty. Women and girls in Zambia have a lower status which is often perpetuated by harmful traditional practices and negative social norms which often leads to discrimination and abuse of their human rights. Disability further exacerbates their position and places them at higher risk of gender-based violence, sexual abuse, neglect, maltreatment and exploitation. To address these challenges, Government enacted the Persons with Disabilities Act, No. 6 of 2012 which provides for the elimination of all forms of discrimination against Persons with Disabilities. Further, Government developed the 2015 National Disability Policy to provide guidance to mainstream disability in national development. The Policy also paves way for legal reforms that will enhance realisation of rights of persons with disabilities and create an enabling environment that takes into consideration their diverse needs. Despite these interventions, persons with disabilities, especially women and girls, access to services including social protection programmes have been limited such that they do not fully participate in the development of their communities. They have had limited access to information in desirable format, income and productive resources, infrastructure, health care, education and employment which leads to further socio-economic exclusion. Further, there has been limited mainstreaming of disability in gender programming. 2.4.3 HIV and AIDS In Zambia, HIV and AIDS continues to affect both the young and adult population living in urban and rural areas. According to the 2018 Zambia Demographic Health Survey, HIV prevalence in Zambia is at 11.1 percent (1.2 million people living with HIV) among the population aged 15 – 49 years. The HIV epidemic in Zambia has continued to have a female face. HIV prevalence among women aged 15 – 49 was 14.2 percent compared to a prevalence of 7.5 percent among men of the same age range and 8.8 percent among young people aged 15 – 24 years. Girls are more likely to contract HIV compared to boys due to the high levels of sexual violence against them. The gender inequalities in HIV and AIDS are attributed to differential risk factors between women and men such as cultural, economic factors and lack of education. 23 | National Gender Policy 2023 In responding to these challenges, Government developed various policies and strategies such as the National HIV and AIDS Strategic Framework and the National HIV and AIDS Policy both aimed at ending HIV epidemic in Zambia by 2030 with the principle of leaving no one behind. Some of the critical interventions that Government has been implementing include Elimination of Mother to Child Transmission (eMTCT) programmes into all clinic based services throughout the country, provision of anti-retroviral drugs, HIV testing and treatments, access to sexual reproductive services and products, and community sensitisations on HIV and AIDS among others. Despite Government efforts, HIV continues to be more prevalent among women and young people below the age of 25. There have also been variations by region which depict profound differences in sexual behaviour, social attitudes, and pressure (peer pressure or other), including economic and social power dynamics that render women and young people more vulnerable to contracting HIV. National Gender Policy 2023 | 24 CHAPTER THREE 3.0 VISION, RATIONALE AND GUIDING PRINCIPLES 3.1 VISION “A nation with gender equity and equality in social, political, cultural and economic development.” 3.2 RATIONALE Gender equity and equality is important for enhancing inclusive development. Over the years, Government has implemented a number of interventions to enhance gender equity and equality. In 2000, Government formulated the National Gender Policy which was aimed at achieving full participation of both women and men in the development process. The Policy was revised in 2014 to focus on strengthening the capacity of the gender machinery at national, provincial and district levels as well as establishing platforms for improving the protection of women’s social, cultural, economic and political rights. The Gender Equity and Equality Act, No. 22 of 2015 was enacted to strengthen the legal framework for the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women and girls. A number of social and empowerment programmes that include the Girls Education and Women Empowerment and Livelihoods (GEWEL) Project, Fast Track Courts, One Stop Centres and advocacy on gender matters have been implemented. This has resulted in increased completion rates of girls at both primary and secondary levels of education, reduction in child marriages, increased awareness on gender matters, and increased participation of women in key decision making positions. Despite this, representation of women in key decision making positions, and access to productive resources and participation in economic activities has been low. Gender based violence, child marriages and teenage pregnancies have remained high. Patriarchal tendencies, cultural and social norms remain factors contributing to power imbalances between men, women and other vulnerable groups thereby negatively affecting human and social development. This National Gender Policy, therefore, builds on the successes of the 2000 and 2014 Policies and seeks to accelerate the attainment of gender equity and equality. The Policy will strengthen the coordination of an integrated and multi-sectoral approach in the implementation of gender programmes across all sectors. The Policy will also enhance the participation of women in economic activities through, among others, creating an enabling environment that provides equitable access to productive and economic resources in conjunction with the private sector. This will enhance equitable distribution of opportunities and national resources between women and men, girls and boys for poverty reduction and national development. The Policy is aligned to the National Development Plans and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as well as the Vision 2030 which aims at attaining a prosperous middle income nation. The Policy has also been aligned to the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, SADC Protocol on Gender and Development, the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa (Maputo Protocol) and other instruments. 25 | National Gender Policy 2023 3.3 GUIDING PRINCIPLES The implementation of this Policy shall be guided by the following principles: (a) Human Dignity and Social Justice: Upholding the dignity and rights of women, men, boys and girls so as to facilitate their full participation and benefits in national development processes; (b) Equity, Equality and Non-Discrimination: Women and men are equal in all respects, differentiated only by their physical traits and biological functions. It follows that all forms of discrimination based on sex and gender should be eliminated for attainment of gender equity and equality; (c) Governance: Ensure an enabling environment with special measures of affirmative action are provided for the advancement of gender equity and equality; (d) Transparency and Accountability: Ensure all stakeholders shall be transparent, accountable and exercise high levels of integrity in the implementation of gender programmes; and (e) Sustainability: All stakeholders are required to adopt mechanisms for the continuous availability of resources for sustained gender programming. National Gender Policy 2023 | 26 CHAPTER FOUR 4.0 POLICY OBJECTIVES AND MEASURES 4.1 Policy Objectives To eliminate gender inequalities, the following are the policy objectives: 1. To eliminate all forms of Gender Based Violence (GBV); 2. To increase equitable access, participation and control in the economic sector; 3. To reduce poverty among vulnerable groups, especially women and girls; 4. To increase women’s participation in employment; 5. To increase participation of women in governance and decision-making; 6. To increase participation of women in science and technology, transport and infrastructure development; 7. To reduce gender disparities in access to education; 8. To facilitate access to cost effective quality and gender responsive health care services for all; 9. To increase access to clean and safe water, sanitation and hygiene services for women and girls; 10. To improve gender responsiveness in disability, HIV/AIDS and climate change; and 11. To strengthen advocacy, coordination, monitoring and evaluation of gender programmes. 4.2 Policy Measures Objective 1: To eliminate all forms of Gender Based Violence (GBV). Measures: (a) Strengthen the legislation and enforcement of GBV laws; (b) Improve knowledge, attitudes and practices on GBV prevention and response; (c) Promote female and male partnership in the fight against and prevention of GBV; and (d) Increase access to essential services for victims of GBV. 27 | National Gender Policy 2023 Objective 2: To increase equitable access, participation and control in the economic sector. Measures: (a) Facilitate women’s equal access to productive resources and services including land, finance and agricultural inputs; (b) Establish private sector driven credit financing facilities for women; (c) Facilitate equal access to entrepreneurial opportunities; (d) Strengthen market linkages for women entrepreneurs; (e) Enhance business skills for women entrepreneurs; (f) Enhance mainstreaming of gender in the mining and energy sectors; and (g) Promote women’s involvement in the use and provision of alternative renewable energy. Objective 3: To reduce poverty among vulnerable groups, especially women and girls. Measures (a) Facilitate the provision of equitable livelihood support to vulnerable women and girls; (b) Facilitate linkages among social protection programmes; (c) Promote savings mobilisation for equitable access to finance women and men for equal participation in economic activities; and (d) Promote adult functional literacy and education especially for females. Objective 4: To increase women’s participation in employment. Measures: (a) Strengthen the enforcement of labour laws; (b) Promote creation of equal employment opportunities for women and men; (c) Enhance the prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse and sexual harassment specifically targeted to women in the world of work; and (d) Strengthen the mechanism for reporting and handling of cases of sexual harassment in the workplace. Objective 5: To increase the participation of women in governance and decision-making. Measures: (a) Promote the participation of women in decision making in the public and private sectors; National Gender Policy 2023 | 28 (b) Promote equal participation of women and men in governance; and (c) Strengthen capacities of women to take up leadership roles. Objective 6: To increase participation of women in science and technology, transport and infrastructure development. Measures: (a) Mainstream gender in science and technology, transport and infrastructure development; (b) Facilitate the development of gender inclusive infrastructure in learning institutions; and (c) Enhance awareness on the Cyber Security and Cyber Crime Law. Objective 7: To reduce gender disparities in access to education. Measures: (a) Increase the enrolment, retention and completion rates of girls at all levels of education; (b) Create safe and gender responsive learning environments; and (c) Promote uptake of STEM and technical courses for girls. Objective 8: To facilitate access to cost effective quality and gender responsive health care services for all. Measures: (a) Enhance equal access to quality health services for women and men; and (b) Strengthen provision of integrated sexual reproductive health services. Water and Sanitation Objective 9: To increase access to clean and safe water, sanitation and hygiene services for women and girls. Measures: (a) Enhance equitable access to clean and safe water; and (b) Improve availability and access to sanitation and hygiene services. 29 | National Gender Policy 2023 Objective 10: To improve gender responsiveness in disability, HIV/AIDS and climate change. Measures: (a) Strengthen linkages for the provision of services for persons living with HIV/AIDS and persons with disabilities; and (b) Mainstream gender in climate change programmes. Objective 11: To strengthen advocacy, coordination, monitoring and evaluation of gender programmes. Measures: (a) Enhance sensitisations on negative cultural and social norms that affect gender equity and equality; (b) Enhance knowledge and awareness of gender matters among public officials; (c) Engage traditional, faith based and community leaders on cultural resetting; (d) Strengthen the coordination of gender programmes; and (e) Strengthen monitoring and evaluation of gender programmes. National Gender Policy 2023 | 30 CHAPTER FIVE 5.0 IMPLEMENTATION FRAMEWORK 5.1 Institutional Arrangement The effective implementation of this Policy requires an appropriate institutional arrangement. The following are the institutions and their respective responsibilities: (a) The Gender Division: Shall provide overall coordination and monitoring the implementation of this Policy; (b) Steering Committee on Gender: There shall be established a Steering Committee on gender which will be responsible for coordinating the implementation of gender programmes. The Steering Committee shall comprise state and non-state actors. It shall be chaired by the Secretary to the Cabinet. The Gender Division shall be the Secretariat. The Steering Committee shall be supported by the Gender Rights Protection and Gender in Development Technical Working Groups (TWGs) which shall be composed of state and non-state actors. The Steering Committee shall meet twice per year to consider reports and recommendations from the TWGs. The Technical Working Groups shall meet quarterly to consider reports and recommendations from state and non-state institutions; (c) The Ministry responsible for Defence: Mainstream gender, domesticate and implement international treaties and protocols relating to peace and security and report on the implementation of institutional gender programmes; (d) The Ministry responsible for Home Affairs and Internal Security: Mainstream gender and enforce all legislation pertaining to the protection of women, men, girls and boys without discrimination and report on the implementation of institutional gender programmes; (e) The Ministry responsible for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation: Mainstream gender and facilitate the ratification and domestication of international and regional instruments that promote gender equity and equality and report on the implementation of institutional gender programmes; (f) The Ministry responsible for Finance and National Planning: Mainstream gender and mobilise resources for the implementation of the Policy, ensure gender responsive planning and budgeting, as well as monitoring and evaluation and report on the implementation of institutional gender programmes; (g) The Ministry responsible for Agriculture: Mainstream gender and facilitate components of the Policy regarding agricultural practices and its economic benefits all and women in particular and report on the implementation of institutional gender programmes; (h) The Ministry responsible for Fisheries and Livestock: Mainstream gender and ensure equal access to opportunities in fisheries and livestock sector by both women and men and report on the implementation of institutional gender programmes; (i) The Ministry responsible for Commerce, Trade and Industry: Mainstream gender and formulate policies and programmes to deal with barriers limiting the participation of women 31 | National Gender Policy 2023 and men in economic activities and report on the implementation of institutional gender programmes; (j) The Ministry responsible for Small and Medium Enterprise Development: Mainstream gender and formulate policies and programmes to deal with barriers limiting the participation of women and men in economic activities and report on the implementation of institutional gender programmes; (k) The Ministry responsible for Mines and Minerals Development: Mainstream gender and ensure the participation of women and men in mining activities and report on the implementation of institutional gender programmes; (l) The Ministry responsible for Energy: Mainstream gender and women’s access to affordable, clean and reliable energy and report on the implementation of institutional gender programmes; (m) The Ministry responsible for Tourism: Mainstream gender and facilitate the development of gender responsive interventions in the tourism sector by creating equal opportunities for both women and men and report on the implementation of institutional gender programmes; (n) The Ministry responsible for Transport and Logistics: Mainstream gender and facilitate the development of gender responsive interventions in transport and logistics to ensure equal access for men and women and report on the implementation of institutional gender programmes; (o) The Ministry responsible for Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development: Mainstream gender and develop infrastructure with a gender perspective and report on the implementation of institutional gender programmes; (p) The Ministry responsible for Lands and Natural Resources: Mainstream gender and ensure gender responsiveness in the distribution, access and ownership of land between men and women and report on the implementation of institutional gender programmes; (q) The Ministry responsible for Water Development and Sanitation: Mainstream gender and ensure that programmes and projects are gender sensitive and report on the implementation of institutional gender programmes; (r) The Ministry responsible for Environmental matters: Mainstream gender and facilitate the development of gender responsive interventions in the management of climate change for sustainable development and report on the implementation of institutional gender programmes; (s) The Ministry responsible for Health: Mainstream gender and foster equitable access to healthcare by addressing the concerns of boys, girls, men and women and report on the implementation of institutional gender programmes; (t) The Ministry responsible for Information and Media: Mainstream gender in media institutions and disseminate gender related information and report on the implementation of institutional gender programmes; (u) The Ministry responsible for Education: Mainstream gender and ensure that gender strategies are in place to facilitate girl child education as well as ensuring that gender National Gender Policy 2023 | 32 disparities between girls and boys in all spheres of education are reduced and report on the implementation of institutional gender programmes; (v) The Ministry responsible for Technology and Science: Mainstream gender and promote the participation of women in the technology, science, communication and skills development sector as well as ensuring protection of women and children from cyber crimes and report on the implementation of institutional gender programmes; (w) The Ministry responsible for Local Government and Rural Development: Mainstream gender and ensure that gender concerns are integrated into the district development plans and budgets as well as collaborate with traditional leaders in addressing cultural norms that perpetuate gender inequality in chiefdoms and report on the implementation of institutional gender programmes; (x) The Ministry responsible for Justice: Mainstream gender and develop legislation relating to gender equity and equality while considering the provisions of regional and international instruments to which Zambia is a signatory and report on the implementation of institutional gender programmes; (y) The Ministry responsible for Labour and Social Security: Mainstream gender and ensure enforcement of labour and employment laws and report on the implementation of institutional gender programmes; (z) The Ministry responsible for Community Development and Social Services: Mainstream gender and ensure provision of gender responsive support systems for social protection and welfare services; (aa) The Ministry responsible for Youth, Sport and Arts: Mainstream gender and ensure equal participation of women, men, girls and boys in sport activities and equal access to empowerment programmes and report on the implementation of institutional gender programmes; (ab) Zambia Statistics Agency (ZAMSTATS): Mainstream gender and co-ordinate the collection and collation of gender disaggregated data as well as provide periodic reports including the annual national Gender Status Report covering all sectors and report on the implementation of institutional gender programmes; (ac) Human Rights Commission: Mainstream gender and examine any law, policy, culture, tradition, usage, custom or plan which is likely to impair equal opportunities and gender equity and equality to persons in enjoyment of human rights and report on the implementation of institutional gender programmes; (ad) Provincial and District Administrations: Mainstream gender, coordinate gender related activities at provincial and district levels as well as ensuring that all policies, programmes and activities conform to the National Gender Policy 2023 in accordance with the respective sectors and report on the implementation of institutional gender programmes; (ae) Civil Society Organisations: Mainstream gender and collaborate with the Gender Division to draw up action plans specifying roles and responsibilities for various non-governmental institutions in the implementation of the Policy and report on the implementation of institutional gender programmes; 33 | National Gender Policy 2023 (af) Political Organisations/Parties: Mainstream gender and promote gender equity and equality and affirmative action measures in all political party manifestos and structures as well as addressing all forms of political violence and report on the implementation of institutional gender programmes; (ag) Private Sector: Mainstream gender in their operations so that corporate policies and practices incorporate gender equity and equality principles and report on the implementation of institutional gender programmes; (ah) Academia: Mainstream gender and collaborate with mandated institutions and undertake research to produce sex disaggregated data, gender planning and analysis for informed decision making and report on the implementation of institutional gender programmes; (ai) Cooperating Partners: Provide technical, financial and material support for resource mobilisation for the implementation of the Policy and report on the implementation of institutional gender programmes; (aj) Faith Based Organisations: Mainstream gender in their core mandates including the promotion and advocacy for the rights of women, men and boys and girls; and (ak) Traditional Leaders: Work with traditional leaders to become champions for promoting gender equity and equality. 5.2 Legal Framework A robust legal framework is important for the effective implementation of this Policy. The following pieces of legislation will facilitate the implementation of the Policy: (a) The Constitution of Zambia (Amendment) No 2 of 2016; (b) The Gender Equity and Equality Act, No.22 of 2015; (c) The Children’s Code Act, No. 12 of 2022; (d) The Penal Code (Amendment) No 1 of 2012; (e) Evidence Act No 8 of 1967; (f) The Criminal Procedure Code Chapter 88; (g) The Anti-Gender Based Violence Act, No. 1 of 2011; (h) The Employment Code Act No.3 of 2019; (i) The Industrial and Labour Relation Act Chapter 269; (j) The Citizens Economic Empowerment Act, No. 9 of 2006; and (k) The Persons with Disabilities Act, No. 6 of 2012. In order to strengthen the legal framework and align it to international instruments and commitments, Government will review and harmonise the following pieces of legislation: (a) The Anti-Gender Based Violence Act No. 1 of 2011; (b) The Education Act No. 23 of 2011; (c) The Penal Code (Amendment) Act No. 15 of 2005; (d) The Marriage Age, Chapter 50 of the Laws of Zambia; (e) The Persons with Disabilities Act, No. 6 of 2012; (f) The Anti-Human Trafficking Act No. 11 of 2008; and (g) The Criminal Procedure Code Act, Chapter 88 of the Laws of Zambia. National Gender Policy 2023 | 34 5.3 Resource Mobilisation and Financing The effective implementation of the 2023 National Gender Policy will require adequate financial, material and human resources. Government will provide resources for the implementation of this Policy through annual budgetary mechanisms. To supplement Government resources, financial, material and technical support will be required from development partners. Some of the partners that will provide support include: Cooperating Partners (Bilateral and Multi-Lateral Agencies); Civil Society Organisations; Traditional leaders; Faith Based Organisations; Private Sector; Foundations; alternative funding sources among others. 5.4 Monitoring and Evaluation The monitoring and evaluation (M&E) of interventions towards achieving the aspirations of the 2023 National Gender Policy will be done through the National Gender Monitoring and Evaluation System (NGMES) under the Gender Division at Cabinet Office. The NGMES is intended to provide an architecture for tracking key performance indicators to facilitate effective monitoring and evaluation of the country’s development interventions to deliver on sustainable and inclusive development. The M&E system therefore, provides a guide on the tracking of progress and measurement of gender equity and equality outcomes and impacts. The NGMES assigns responsibility to various stakeholders in the country for management and reporting on various gender related indicators. The implementation of this Policy shall be monitored through regular site visits, engagements and meetings with implementing institutions. Quarterly and annual reports shall be prepared to track progress in the implementation of programmes. A midterm evaluation will be conducted to access the achievements of policy objectives. Evaluation of the impact of the Policy will be conducted through surveys and other studies.