Gender Lens Analysis of Zambia´s Climate Policies

Whare is behind problematics of Gender Lens Analysis of Zambia´s Climate Policies? Student of Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences, CZU, Prague, Klára Sieglová took close look and you can read our interview with her:

1. What stood out to you the most during your research—was there anything particularly surprising or insightful about how Zambia’s climate policies address (or fail to address) gender issues?

What stood out to me the most was how many of Zambia’s climate policies, especially in key sectors like agriculture, forestry and water, are still gender-accommodating rather than transformative. I was surprised at how often women were framed mainly as vulnerable recipients instead of being seen as active agents of change, which perpetuates gender inequalities. In the bigger picture, it was insightful to read about the various global commitments on gender integration in climate action – like the Lima Work Programme or the Gender Action Plan – but then to see the contrast with multiple case studies, including Zambia, showing that implementation at the national level is still lagging behind. That disconnect between the global discourse and actual practice highlighted the need for better cooperation between research and policymakers.

2. How did you approach applying a gender lens in your analysis—what specific aspects of the policies did you focus on, and why?

I applied a gender lens using a two-step evaluation matrix based on the Gender Integration Continuum. First, I looked at whether the policies even acknowledged gender roles, rights, and power relations – because that’s the foundation of understanding inequality. Then, I assessed the actual policy measures: were they reinforcing the existing inequalities, acknowledging but working around them, or were they really trying to transform them? I focused on these areas because I wanted to go beyond just counting how many times the word “gender” appears – I wanted to see how integrated those considerations really were.

3. In your opinion, what are the most important changes or improvements that could be made to make Zambia’s climate policies more gender-responsive?

In my opinion, one of the most important improvements would be to ensure that policies actively involve women – especially at the local level – in the design, decision-making, and implementation processes and thus change the mindset that women are of subordinate positions in decision-making processes. There is also a need for better institutional coordination between ministries and sectors, along with clear gender-responsive budgeting and monitoring frameworks. Strengthening access to sex-disaggregated data and investing in gender training for policy-makers would be also beneficial. And finally, tackling systemic issues like land rights, mobility restrictions, and access to finance is crucial for truly inclusive climate adaptation.