‘NEGOTIATING WITH PATRIARCHY’: AN ASSESSMENT OF WOMEN’S MARGINALIZATION IN POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT IN ZAMBIA

Since independence in 1964, there has been high political participation of women in grass root politics (ZNWL, 2003: 13). However, there has been persistently very low representation of women at the helm of political decision-making levels such as top party leaderships, Councillors or Members of Parliament. Although women constitute a larger population of voters, their participation has been limited. The objective of the study was to establish why this state of affairs persistent despite the impressive policy framework Government has put in place with the aim of contributing to the gender analysis of political processes and identify prospects for increasing women’. The study employed a combination of intersectional gender analysis with feminist conceptualization of empowerment and capacity to analyse the find-ings. Results of the study indicate a limited understanding of the concept of gender, and while an impressive policy framework is in place, there is a lack of institutional responsiveness to gender needs due to inadequate institutional capacities and mechanisms and lack of political will from the leadership. Representation in decision-making systematically favours men over women due to the gendered processes present in society, political parties and electoral procedures.