GENDER EQUITY AND GENDER EQUALITY

Gender

- Gender is defined as a social constructed and varying role that women and men play in their
daily lives.
- It is a set of social characteristics given by society to individuals by virtue of being men or
women by categorizing their roles, responsibilities, opportunities and needs of women and
men in any given social context.
- It is a cultural concept used to classify and categorize the differences between women
(females) and men (males) and the respective roles that they play in society.
- Gender, unlike sex, does not refer to the biological difference between women and men but
rather refers to the social, cultural economic and political relationships, attributes and
opportunities associated with being male or female.

Gender Equity

- Gender equity refers to a process by which women and men are treated fairly in accordance
to their respective needs in society. Equity program, therefore, favours treating women and
men differently in order to achieve their full equal status.
- Therefore, a policy that has been used to promote fairness and foster equal opportunities is
known as Affirmative action, which is also referred to as positive discrimination.
- This is a special policy which aimed at creating a state of equality between females and
males through the implementation of policies and program aimed at elevating the status of
the disadvantaged in society.
- For instance, the selection pass marks for girls at Grades 7 and 9 are relatively lower than
that of boys. This is done in order to encourage and retain female participation in the school
system.

Therefore, good examples of equity programs are:-

 Lowering marks for girls at grade 7 and 9 examinations

 Re-entry policy

GENDER EQUALITY

- This is a concept which states that all human beings, that is, girls and boys, women and men
are free to develop their personal abilities without limitations set by stereo-typed rigid gender
roles and prejudices.
- This means Gender Equality considers same rights and opportunities to girls and boys,
women and men regardless of their race, sex, religion, social, culture and political status.
- It also means that the different behaviours and aspirations of all human beings are
considered, valued and favoured equally.

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- However, this does not mean that women and men have to become the same, but rather that
their rights, responsibilities and opportunities will not depend on whether they are female or
male.
 For Example, job offers in the employment sector should be done on merit as all human
beings must enjoy the same rights and opportunities.

Gender gap

- It is a measure of the inequality that is observable in males and females by virtue of their
socio-economic status. It raises gender issues.

The Background to Gender Issues

 The need for gender equity and equality is a direct result of the critical areas that concern
women and the girl child. These areas of concern on one hand are a result of the biological
difference between men and women while on the other hand are issues of women's socio-
economic situation. Some issues that affect women's socio-economic needs include:
- Violence against women in general.
- The persistent and increasing burden of poverty on women.
- Inequalities and inadequacies in and unequal access to health care education and related
services.
- Inequality economic structures and policies in all forms of productive activities and in access
to resources.
- Inequality between men and women in the sharing of power and decision making at all
levels.
- Lack of respect for and inadequate promotion and protection of the human rights for women.
- Gender inequalities in the management of natural resources and in the safe-guarding of the
environment.
- Persistent discrimination against and violation of the rights of the girl-child.
- Stereo-typing of women.

The table below shows how women in Zambia were also disadvantaged in so many way.
POSITION WOMEN MEN
Members of parliament 19 139
Councilors 95 985
Ministers 5 17
Special assistant to the president 4 32
Permanent secretaries 10 27
Supreme court Judges 3 8
High court Judges 5 17
Industrial Relations Court 2 3
Magistrate Court 19 75
Local Court Justices 44 844

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STEPS TOWARDS ADDRESSING GENDER ISSUES

i. Convention on the Elimination of all forms of discrimination Against Women

- In 1967, a declaration was made on the Elimination of all forms of discrimination against
Women. However, this declaration did not effectively address the problems of female
discrimination in the world hence the legally binding 'Convention on the Elimination of
all forms of discrimination Against Women' (CEDAW) was adopted in 1979, and is
described as the International Bill of rights for women.
- Zambia signed (CEDAW) in 1980 and ratified it on 21st June, 1985.
- By signing the convention, Zambia has admitted that women face discrimination or have
their rights violated in their daily lives.
ii. The Beijing conference on gender'
- This conference was convened by the United Nations (UN) in 1995 whose objective was to
lobby Governments to increase their effort in promoting and protecting the rights of women
and girl child.
- This conference is referred to as the 'Beijing conference on gender'.
Since ratifying CEDAW, Zambia has taken a number of steps to implement the convention.
These include:-
The Setting up of the Gender in Development Division (GIDD):
- Following the demands of the Beijing Conference, the 'Gender in Development
Division'(GIDD) was introduced at cabinet office whose vision is to attain equity and
equality between females and males.
- GIDD ensures that there is speedy effective design, implementation, monitoring and
evaluation of policies and program in all Gender focal points.
- Adoption of National Gender Policy:- In March, 2000,the Government adopted the
National Gender Policy.
The aims of the policy were:
 Achievement of equal and full participation of women and men in economic, political and
social sectors in the development process.
 Provision of the legal framework and mandate for every stakeholder to address gender
imbalances within the specific sectors.
 Main stream gender concerns in the development process.

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 Establishment of the Ministry of Gender:-In 2005,the Ministry of Gender was established to
be responsible for gender issues and concern in all sectors of development.
 Signing of the Southern African Development Community Declaration on Gender:-Zambia is
also a signatory to the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Declaration
which requires member countries to make gender an important element in the region's
program of action and community building initiatives. The success of the policy declaration
requires 30 per cent women representation in parliament.

GENDER ROLES

- Gender roles are prescribed activities, tasks and responsibilities which are assigned as female
or male by a society.
- They are influenced by cultural, political, economic, religious, age, class and racial factors.
- In most African societies, some roles are played by both women and men, while others are
specifically conducted by a particular sex.

Common gender roles:

 Business enterprise
 Water resource management
 Farming
 Gathering
 Tourism
 Crafts Work
 Environment Management.

Specific roles assigned by society for women include:

 Health care provision

 Food preparation
 Pottery making
 Mat and basket weaving
 Crop harvesting
 Cutting grass for thatching
 Harvesting

On the other hand, some specific roles assigned by society specifically for men are:

- Breadwinners and family defenders.

- Attending of social and political meetings

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- Cattle herding
- Bush clearing and felling of trees
- Hunting
- Decision-making on important issues in a home.
 In modern society, the above roles are performed by both men and women. This is because
gender roles are not fixed but constantly change due to the dynamic nature of society.

Gender Gap

- This is the measure of inequality in any particular socio-economic indicator and which may
be defined as the different in any aspect of the socio-economic status of women and men.
- This also means that it is a gap which arises from the different gender roles and social
locations of women and men
- It reveals the percentage difference between the number of women and the number of men in
a particular socio-economic category
- A gender issue arises where there is an observable bender gap, where women are aware of it
and consider the gap unfair.

Sex Roles

- Sex is a biological term which refers to the exclusive physiological differences between
females and males.
- Sex roles are, therefore, roles which females and males perform on the basis of their
reproductive physiological or biological make up.
- Sex roles are generally the same in all societies because they are biologically determined.

For example, sex roles for women may include child bearing and feeding, while those of men
include siring.

Sex Roles Stereo-type

- This is a set of attributes including attitudes, personality, traits, abilities, interest and
behaviours that are defined as being appropriate for each sex.
- In other words, it is the belief that males and females, by virtue of their sex, perform certain
bender roles. This is a mere myth or belief not a fact. For instance, there if a belief that
hunting is for men while nursing are for women.

The stereotype for females include:-

- Expectations to be domestic
- Warm
- Pretty
- Emotional
- Dependent

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 On the other hand, men are thought as being;
- More competitive
- Less emotional than women
- Physical strong
- Independent
- Active
- Aggressive
Differences between gender role and sex roles

Gender roles Sex roles

Can be performed by both men and women Can be performed by specific sex
Differ from society to society Are the same everywhere
They change with time They constant

SOCIALIZATION IN RELATION TO GENDER ROLES

- This is a process through which females and males are assigned certain roles and
responsibilities based on the values of a particular society. The beliefs and values enshrined
in the socialization process are passed on from one generation to another.
- In addition, socialization is based on patriarchal beliefs of the male dominance over women.
This is particularly seen through agents of socialization such as the family, school, media and
religious groups.

AGENTS OF SOCIALIZATION

The studies have proved that gender socialization is based on particular belief of male dominance
over females as seen through the following agents:

Family

- This is a primary agent of socialization. It provides the first teaching to children from
childhood where children are told that girls are in inferior to boys in all aspects of life.

- For example, the birth of the male child in the family gives parents more joy than that of a
female child. A boy child receives bulk of available resources as well as parental attention,
health care and education than the female child.

- A girl child performs more house chose than a boy child, thereby, leaving her severely
disadvantaged in terms of educational opportunities.

- It is believed that girls will ultimately find husbands to support them

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The school

- The school has also contributed to male economic dominance by allocating certain subjects
to males and others to females, for example, Home Economics is believed to be done by
females while Woodwork to be done by males.

- These subjects relate to their future roles as mothers, home makers and child careers

Media

- The media contributes in male dominance by: -playing most songs depicting the immoral
behavior of women and emphasizing on her total submission to men. Most of the Zambian
popular songs lyrics are sung by men and women dancing queens are usually used as dancing
queens.

Religious Institution

- Religious institutions play a key role in the socialisation process from early childhood.
- In general, all religions teach that women should be submissive to men. Also, men are
recognised as leaders. They preside over all religious ceremonies while females are assigned
subordinate roles such as cleaning the church.
- However, in modern societies, some religions allow women to assume leadership positions.

Gender issues in traditional Vs modern society

Traditional

- Men were taught to be aggressive and dominant while women were trained to be obedient.
- Issues of sex were not to be discussed openly by parents.
- Issues of marriage were not to be discussed publicly as that brought embracement.

Modern

- Physical violence as a way of controlling women now has legal implications as many
enforcement agencies are on board
- These issues of sex are now being discussed by parents to children openly due to issues of
HIV/AIDS.

Comparisons

- In both tradition and modern society, there is a misconception that regards women as inferior.
- In both there is male dominance over women.
- In both traditional and modern society decision making in a home is dominated by men.
- Polygamy is practiced in both tradition and modern.

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- Land is predominantly owned by men. Women can only have access to it through their male
relatives such as husbands, fathers, uncles and nephews.
- Women and girls spend more time working than their counterparts.

Gender Based Violence

- Gender based violence is the violence involving men and women where the female is usually
a victim.
- It the type of violence that is meted out on a person on the basis of his or her gender.
Gender-based violence can be directed against both men and women. These acts can be done
in private or in public but no matter where they are done, they are offensive and against the
rights of the victims. Some of the common gender based violence are:
 Sexual harassment
 Rape
 Battering
 Verbal abuse
 Harmful cultural practices e.g. female genital mutilation
 Forced marriages
 Forced sterilization
 Forced abortion
 Prenatal sex selection

Forms of Gender based Violence

- Physical violence: this is the form of violence directed on the body of someone by inflicting
pain such as slapping, pinching, punching, beating, kicking, stabbing and sexual assault.
- Psychological violence: Is the violence that is concerned with the mind of someone e.g.
humiliation, threats, harassment and attack on another person's self-worth.
- Structure violence: This form of violence includes all the violence that exists within the
structures of our institutions. This violence occurs in the economic, political, social andn
military systems. It rises from unjust and repressive social structures such as women being
denied chances to certain appointments because of their status.

Factors that cause gender based violence

 Drunkenness
 Petty jealous
 Failure to get permission from male partner to do something
 Belief that men show love by beating their wives
 Refusal or delay to serve food
 Perceived rudeness and lack of respect for the husband
 Suspected extra marital affairs

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 Low self-esteem by the perpetrator
 Refusal to have sex.
 Gender role stereotyping, societal belief, myth or attitudes that men and women have certain
privileges by virtue of their sex.

Abusers

- The abuser may be an ordinary person or a person in a privileged position over the abused.
For example, the abuser may be of a stronger economic or social standing.
- He or she may be older and in a supervisory position. Abusers may include people within the
family such as a husband, wife, guardian and those outside the family such as members of the
extended family, friends and strangers.

Ways of Reducing Gender-Based Violence

The following are some of the ways in which gender-based violence can be reduced:

- Speaking out about the problem.

- Sensitising the community about gender violence and the need to work together to stop the
vice.
- Assisting couples to discuss and resolve their problems.
- Reporting cases of violence to the Police Victim Support Unit for legal action and
counselling.
- Encouraging victims to go for legal advice to NGOs or Drop-in Centers dealing with gender-
based violence.

Measures to curb Gender-Based Violence and Child Abuse

 Lobbying for changes in the laws and enforcement of laws regarding gender-based violence.
 Making others aware of the extent and true nature of gender-based violence and child abuse
through public education, training, public performance, newspaper articles, radio and
television programmes.
 Establishing counselling centres for victims.
 Putting pressure on the community to make conditions safer for vulnerable people such as
improving street lighting in certain areas.
 Researching and keeping records on child abuse and gender-based violence for social action
and policy-making.
 Formulation of community based gender violence committees.

Effects of Gender Based Violence

 Family disruption(divorce)
 Loss of self-esteem and confidence
 Suicide

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 Unplanned pregnancies
 Permanent disability
 Physical, metal injuries and death

The Intestate Succession Act Of 1989

- This Act (law) was enacted by the Zambian parliament on 14th May, 1989.
- The Act is a stipulated guide meant to facilitate ways of ensuring adequate financial and
property sharing for surviving spouses, children, parents and any other relatives of the
deceased person if he or she did not leave a will death.
- A will is a document that outlines how finances and property of a deceased person should be
distributed among the beneficiaries.
- The Act also gives a guide as to how other matters relating to the deceased should be handled
by an Administrator of the estate.
- An administrator is a legally appointed person who acts on behalf of the state, in handling
matters of the deceased person. He is not paid for discharging his or her duties and he or she
is not part of the beneficiaries of the estate.

Note that:

 A testator is a male person who left the will before his death.
 A testatrix is a female deceased who left a will.

Distribution of the Estates

Under the Intestate Succession Act, the distribution of the estate is as follows:

 Fifty (50) per cent for the children; taking into consideration their ages and educational
needs. Children include those born within the marriages as well as those born out of wedlock.
In a situation where there are no children this percentage goes to the parents of the deceased.
 Twenty (20) per cent for the surviving spouse (s); widow (s) or widower. This means that in
case of a polygamous marriage, the percentage shall be distributed among all the surviving
spouses. However, the distribution is done according to the duration of the marriage and the
spouses’ contributions to the deceased's property. If there is no spouse, the 20 per cent shall
be given to the children.
 Twenty (20) per cent for parent of the deceased. In case where there are no parents, the 20
percent portion shall be distributed among the spouse, children and dependants, and

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 Ten (10) per cent for the dependants, if any.
 It is important to note that the brothers, sisters and any relatives of the deceased are not part
of the beneficiaries, however, they can only benefit if there are no children, parents and
dependants. In such a situation, the brothers and sisters get half of the estate while the other
half goes to the surviving spouse.

Personal Chattels and House

(a). Personal chattels this refers to things like clothing, household goods, agriculture and
hunting equipment, books and many other. These are exclusively for the surviving spouse (s) and
the children.

(b). The house is for the surviving spouse (s) and the children, However, the surviving spouse
only has a life interest in the house. He or she can only remain in the house as long as he or she
lives and does not remarry. If there is more than one house or car, they shall be distributed
accordingly among the spouse, the children and the parents of the deceased.

 A breach of any part of the Intestate Act constitutes a criminal offence which in Zambia is
commonly referred to as property grabbing.
 This means that It is a breach of taking property of the deceased person by relatives without
observing what is contained in the intestate Act of 1989. This implies that property grabbing
is strongly prohibited under this Act.

Practical Challenges and Limitations of the Intestate Act

- Children born out of wedlock if not known or recognized by the surviving spouse do not
benefit from the estate and the law is not protective. A child born in such circumstances
should also fully enjoy his or her rights.
- Erring administrators must be punished by the law but, however, may not have due to fear of
breaking the traditions (cultural norms)
- There is no provision for assisting vulnerable children especially complete orphans who may
be infected with HIV/AIDS.
- Widow's rights are not fully protected in a childless marriage.
- Life interest in property like house only applies to the widow and not a widower as he does
not lose it when he remarries but a widow loses it when she remarries.
- The Act does not protect the widows and orphans due to the practical nature of the Zambian
society.

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- The Act does not favour and protect women over the control of traditional land which is
primarily governed by the customary laws.
- The Act supports the legality of polygamous marriages depriving the first wife's of enjoying
her full rightful status and position in marriage.

Institutions Advocating Gender Equity and Equality

There are a number of governmental and non-governmental organisations and nstitutions that
advocate gender equity and equality in Zambia. Some of these are discussed below:

Governmental Institutions

i. Setting up of the Gender in Development Division (GIDD)

- The Division's main task is to co-ordinate, monitor and evaluate the implementation of
gender related development policies, projects and programmes to ensure that gender is
integrated in government administration.
ii. Zambia Police Service Victim Support Unit(VSU)
- The Victim Support Unit (VSU) of the Zambia Police Service was formed in 1994 and
started operating in 1997. This unit has established offices in most Police Stations in the
country. It mainly deals with cases of violence most of which affect women and children.

The general aims of the VSU include the following:

- Protecting victims of gender violence
- Sensitizing people on the dangers of gender violence
- protecting victims of property grabbing
- protecting children against all forms of child abuse
iii. Parliamentary Committee on Gender matters
- Under this institution there is Legal Affairs, Governance, Human Rights and Gender Matters
Committee as one of the committees of Parliament which studies government policies and
makes recommendations to ensure that there is gender equity and equality.

Non-governmental Organisations

i. Zambia National Women's Lobby Group(ZNWLG)

- This organization was formed in 1991 by women from Non-Governmental Organisations and
political parties concerned about the discrimination that women suffer and their poor
representation in government and other public offices.

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The objectives of the organisation are:

i. Promotion of equal participation and representation of women and men in decision-

making.
ii. Cultivation and promotion of a culture of gender equity and equality and respect for
women's rights through changes in attitude, language and legal procedure.
iii. Undertaking training and managing resource mobilisation programmes meant for
capacity building, lobbying mechanism, advocacy and information dissemination and
networking.

The ZNWLG has successfully conducted a number of programmes, some of

which include:

- Capacity building for female aspiring candidates for elections.

- Civic education relating to constitutional matters.
- Monitoring and observing elections.
- Holding monthly discussions on national and topical issues.
- Conducting community debates on topical issues.
- Information dissemination through publications.
ii. Justice for Widows and Orphans Project (JWOP)
- The Project was established in 2001 with the support of the Embassy of Finland.
- Its main objective is to disseminate information on the rights of widows and orphans.
- The Project highlights and Publishes cases of violation of human rights committed in society
so that they are addressed properly and appropriately.
- It also conducts sensitization programs for community leaders and the general public. This is
to help them understand and appreciate the importance of protecting the rights of the
vulnerable groups in society.
iii. Women's Christian Association YWCA)
- The Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA) is a Christian Organization dedicated to
the empowerment of women for a better community.
- The advocacy Programme which falls under the Women's Human Rights (WHR)program
was established in 1993 .

Organisaation aims at:

i. Ensuring that women know their rights ,duties and responsibilities in society.
ii. helping women realise their full potential as human beings and the contribution they
should make to advance themselves, their families, community and the whole country.
iv. Zambia Association for Research and Development (ZARD)
- This is a non-governmental organisation formed in 1984 with an aim to uplift the status and
positions of women through action-oriented participatory and gender sensitive research.
- It also undertakes research activities aimed at promoting gender balance in society

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v. The Zambia National Association for Disabled Women Organisation (ZNADWO)
- This was formed in 1992. Its aim is to develop programmes for empowering disabled women
- Organization also works in collaboration with the established associations in improving the
plight of women with special needs.
vi. The Zambia Alliance of Women (ZAW)
- It was formed in 1978 and formerly registered in 1982.
- It is involved in the following advocacy programmes for women:
i. Promotion and enhancement of women's rights, women and inheritance, women and
education and women and development in general.
ii. Advocacy for good governance and promotion of peace.
iii. Advocacy for women’s rights as human rights gender sensitization and porpularising
CEDAW.
iv. Eradication of poverty through food security
v. Research and documentation in socio-economic programs in health and education
matters.

The end

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