Zambia: Women's rights

Updated October 2001

According to the US Department of State (2000), violence against women remains a serious problem in Zambia and wife beating and rape were widespread in 2000. According to official statistics over 4 700 rape cases were reported to the police between 1991 and 1998. Of these, approximately 30% resulted in conviction.

The Government and NGOs expressed continued concern about violence against women, and the media devoted considerable publicity to it during the past year. The Victim Support Unit (VSU) handles problems of wife beating, mistreatment of widows by the deceased husband's relatives, and illicit appropriation of property. Both the Constitution and the law entitle women to equality with men in most areas; however, in practice women are disadvantaged severely in formal employment and education compared with men.

Customary law and practice also place women in a subordinate status with respect to property, inheritance, and marriage, despite constitutional and legislative protections. Polygyny is permitted and, under prevalent traditional customs, all rights to inherit property rest with the deceased man's family. A 1996 reform of the 1989 Interstate Succession Act placed the widow's share at 20%, to be divided equally with any other women who can prove a marital relationship with the deceased. In practice illicit appropriation of property remains rampant, particularly when local customary courts have jurisdiction. As a result, many widows receive little or nothing from the estate.

In an effort aimed at implementing the outcome of the Beijing Conference, the Non-Governmental Organisations Coordinating Committee (NGOCC) participated in the drafting of a national Strategic Plan for the Advancement of Women (SPAW) in Zambia. This document has been awaiting adoption by government and spells out the five priority areas for Zambia for five years in, namely poverty, education, health, decision-making, and the enforcement of the rights of the girl-child.

References

DEPARTMENT OF STATE 2000 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices 1999, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights.

SADC GENDER MONITOR.