02-05-2025
Boys' workshops help Zambia move closer to gender equality
In Zambia, where traditionally men held the most power and authority, more people are confronting cultural norms to try and break the cycle of gender inequality.
Our reporter Karen Creed and camera man Brian Walsh travelled to Lusaka, supported by the Simon Cumbers Media Fund, to find out how certain initiatives and actions are helping to improve daily life for women and girls.
Under the sweltering heat of the midday sun, a group of boys and young men are dancing, rapping and singing.
It is part of an energising warm-up before their weekly Men of Honour meeting.
There are around 40 of them attending this workshop in a suburb of Lusaka which is centred on teaching them why women and girls should have the same rights as them.
Peter Mukuka, the Founder and Chief Executive of Men of Honour, shares the importance of creating a safe space as discussions at times can be uncomfortable.
"We talk about things they find difficult to talk about, with their parents, even within their family space," he explained.
"We can all share those difficult issues they are going through.
"We see a lot of pressure for the boy child and men to live up to expectations of society."
He explains how in the worst cases, it can lead to some boys and men committing "all sorts of crimes."
"We look at gender-based violence which is one of the social issues facing our country and we try to engage them to see how they are playing a positive role in ending it."
"Adolescence is a crucial age," he said.
"We take time to break those deep-rooted beliefs that are negative and try to replace them with positive beliefs and what it means to be a man."
A priority in these discussions is what constitutes violence and then encouraging the participants to bring what they learn about positive behaviour into their homes and communities.
"Tradition plays a huge role, and we must convince them otherwise."
The boys are also taught to not be a bystander when they see violent acts happening to girls and women and to speak up.
The Gender Equity and Equality Act came into effect in Zambia in 2016.
Since then, the focus is on getting men and boys to adapt to a fairer society while showing girls that their ambitions can be fulfilled.
The National Gender Policy aims to integrate it across various facets of society and tackle gender disparities.
Education essential to make progress
Education is viewed as essential to make progress and there is a lot of investment in school programmes.
Chrostinah Pemba is a civics teacher at Twin Palm Secondary School in Lusaka.
She said teaching the children about gender equality is one of the biggest challenges and that it can be upsetting also.
"At home it is what the parents say is right and here what the teachers say is right, so the kids are stuck in between," she said.
"Tradition plays a huge role, and we must convince them otherwise.
"It is a bit of a task, so we really need to be steadfast in delivering the message."
"But now we have duty rotas, we make sure the boys hold that broom and must sweep."
She describes the struggle for some children from certain tribes with certain rules and when they come to school, they are taught a different view.
The approach being taken across schools has changed considerably since the time she was a teenager.
"I remember back in our day, we would have chores and while we sweep the boys would do other things like pick papers, and the boys could not touch the broom according to tradition.
"But now we have duty rotas, we make sure the boys hold that broom and must sweep."
She is confident that they are seeing the benefits.
"I think we are balancing it and getting somewhere," said Chrostinah.
Football offers vast playing field
That message is spreading from the classroom to the wider community about the importance of equal access to opportunities.
In the push for gender equality football is one sport that offers a vast playing field.
"Football is a lucrative sport, and young women and girls are changing the narrative and taking Zambia to the global stage."
There is a lot of encouragement for women and young girls to get involved and to enjoy football like their male peers but also to score goals for equality and change.
The girls' teams at State House Queens football club are supported by a charity that was set up by famous Zambian footballer Rachel Kundananji and her friend Bernadatte Deka Zulu.
Bernadette has been campaigning for gender equality since her teenage years.
"We have taken this path to make sure we reach out to young girls in Zambia and beyond to give skills, education, empowerment and social justice," she said.
She is grateful for the rewards that are happening on and off the pitch.
"What it means is that parents in our communities in the daily Zambian average family are going to let a young girl go out there and pursue her dreams."
Bernadette explains that it is much more than just recreational activities.
"Football is a lucrative sport, and young women and girls are changing the narrative and taking Zambia to the global stage."
As we watch two of the girls' teams battle it out in a friendly, I realise most of the spectators who have gathered to watch the match are boys.
It captures perfectly the change that Zambia is striving for, even if it is happening at a slower pace in some parts.
