Zambia: The Voice of Leadership: Women in Wildlife in Zambia

Mar 4, 2021 | Patricia Malasha
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In Zambia, women and men are making the choice to challenge cultural and social barriers to women’s participation in natural resource management

When it comes to Zambia’s natural resource governance structures, the cultural perception that ‘only men can be the leaders’ excludes many capable women from leadership roles. Women’s interests and priorities are under-represented, and women can do little to change this from the sidelines. Due to gender norms, most of the work and decision-making tends to be assigned to men, who are the only ones thought to have the competencies required for wildlife operations.

Zambia’s wildlife policy entrusts power to communities to establish Community Resource Boards (CRBs) to manage their natural resources in Game Management Areas, which are protected areas buffering national parks; but with no gender focus, women community leaders continue to be ignored within community management and governance structures. To be elected to the CRB, women have to compete with men on an uneven playing field. Few are willing to stand for election, but when they do, they face many barriers limiting their chances of success, such as lack of resources for campaigns, lack of acceptance, time constraints to campaign, and risks of gender-based violence (GBV). If they succeed, the same challenges continue to impact their meaningful participation. Asserting themselves within traditionally male-dominated structures exposes them further to the risks of GBV within their family and communities.