Sida's work in Zambia
Sida's work in Zambia aims to strengthen democracy and increase respect for human rights and gender equality, improve the conditions for economic development and livelihoods, and promote climate and environmentally sustainable development.
Why does Sida work in Zambia?
High levels of poverty and malnutrition
Around 60 per cent of the population lives in poverty. The country also shows worrying figures of malnutrition and children not growing properly due to lack of nutrition.
Vulnerability to climate and environmental change
Zambia is severely affected by the impacts of climate change, such as droughts, floods, rising temperatures, and heavy and unpredictable rains. More than half of Zambia’s population relies on agriculture for their livelihoods and they are severely affected by climate change.
Gender inequality
Gender equality is weak in Zambia. Women have less access to education and other resources that provide economic opportunities. Few women are politically active and gender-based violence is widespread. Almost one in three teenage girls in Zambia is married with children.
Examples of Sida's contributions
Reducing poverty through cash transfers
Research shows that social protection schemes lift people out of poverty into livelihoods and make it easier for them to cope with sudden economic changes. Sida supports a government programme of monthly digital cash transfers that prioritises single mothers, the elderly, the chronically ill, orphans and people with disabilities. The number of connected households increased in 2023 to 1.3 million, which is 82% of those living in extreme poverty. It is one of the best developed social safety nets in the region.
Women break new ground in vocational training
Through an innovative partnership between Volvo and the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), 540 young people have received vocational training in the transport industry in modern training facilities at the Northern Technical College. The programme is breaking gender norms in a traditionally male-dominated sector, with 14.5% of participants being women.
Increasing access to sustainable energy
More than one million Zambians who lacked access to the electrical grid now have access to basic electricity services thanks to the Beyond the Grid Fund. This is done in co-operation with 10 private companies, while developing the market for these products.
Sida's development cooperation in Zambia
Sida supports projects in Zambia that aim to strengthen gender equality, contribute to increased democracy, improve access to and respect for sexual and reproductive health and rights, and promote sustainable economic development.
Zambia has embarked on several legal reforms to safeguard the progress that has been made in democracy and human rights in recent years. Laws that conflict with international standards will be reviewed and repealed. The death penalty and the Presidential Defamation Act have been abolished. The protection of children’s rights has been strengthened in a new child rights law in 2022. But gender equality is still weak – women’s political participation and representation is a challenge, as are the rights of LGBTI people. Child marriages and teenage pregnancies are common.
Sida’s work aims to help reduce corruption, strengthen democracy as well as freedom of expression and increase gender equality. Here are examples of projects Sida supports:
Sida’s support to Zambia’s National Audit Office and Transparency International Zambia has contributed to the strengthening of anti-corruption measures. A fast-track court for financial offences as been established. Several high-ranking officials and ministers have been dismissed or arrested by the police and prosecuted on corruption charges. The legal processes are slow but a number of sentences have been handed down.
Sida cooperates with BBC Media Action, which strengthens the country’s media sector by, for example, training journalists on election monitoring, human rights reporting and ethical matters. Media organisations and journalists have implemented a mechanism for media to regulate themselves without government interference.
Sida supports the National Legal Aid Clinic for Women, which works to strengthen respect for the rights of vulnerable women and children by offering access to legal aid and other forms of support – more than 2,000 people a year receive help and support. The organisation also educates people about their rights and how the legal system works, and advocates for new legislation to promote the rights of women and children.
About the work at the National Legal Aid Clinic for Women’s website
Zambia has made progress in the health sector in the past, but the country struggles with a heavy disease burden and a lack of trained personnel. Limited resources make it difficult to purchase essential products and medicines. Most health facilities have a shortage of contraceptives and supplies to prevent infections and treat pain. Here is one example of projects supported by Sida:
Child marriage, unwanted pregnancies, HIV and intimate partner violence affect many people in Zambia. There is a lack of access to contraceptives. Sida cooperates with the organisation MSI Reproductive Choices, which provides information and advice on contraception and safe abortions. By 2023/24, the work is estimated to have prevented 164,200 unintended pregnancies, 114,700 unsafe abortions and 547 maternal deaths, as well as saving the Zambian health service considerable costs.
About MSI Reproductive Choices on the organisation’s website
Zambia is severely affected by the impacts of climate change, such as droughts, floods, rising temperatures as well as heavy and unpredictable rains. The agricultural production is vulnerable due to climate change. In recent years, awareness of climate change has increased. Many people in Zambia, especially in rural areas, lack access to electricity. Sida supports projects that contribute to increased access to electricity from renewable sources and climate-smart agriculture. These are some examples of projects supported by Sida:
The Beyond the Grid Fund for Africa (formerly Zambia) enables people who are not reached by the grid to have access to renewable and affordable electricity. When Sida and the Swedish Embassy in Zambia started the project in 2017, only 4 per cent of people in rural areas had access to basic electricity services for lighting. Currently, over one million people have access to electricity through the project, an improvement with 14 per cent. The renewable electricity reduces climate impact, helps create jobs and improves conditions for people in rural areas. The aim is to give another 4 million people in the country access to renewable electricity.
Small-scale farmers are particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change. The organisation SNV develops climate-adapted and climate-smart agricultural methods and increases the production of biogas and sludge for use in agriculture and as an alternative to charcoal. Its work has led to increased interest among smallholder farmers in using organic fertilisers and co-planting of crops with nitrogen-fixing trees, which increases resilience to climate change.
About SNV’s work in Zambia on the organisation’s website
Private businesses are affected by the economic crisis and the impact of the pandemic. The most vulnerable urban population is particularly hard hit and many have lost their income due to cutbacks and a shrinking economy. Zambia has a high rate of youth unemployment (22 per cent), which is above the average in the region. Sida supports projects that contribute to increased social security and facilitate people’s access to decent jobs. Here are some examples of projects Sida supports:
Sida is supporting a venture between Volvo, the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) and the Northern Technical College, resulting in the launch of a new vocational training course. Most of the students come from rural areas and an increasing number are women. The curriculum ensures that the programmes are matched to the needs of industry.
About the project on the UNIDO website
Sida supports social protection systems in Zambia, prioritising the most vulnerable, such as single mothers, the chronically ill, the elderly, children and people with disabilities. One example is the Girls’ Education and Women’s Empowerment and Livelihood Project (GEWEL), which is a partnership between the World Bank and the Zambian government. It supports girls in the poorest households to continue their education, and to create a supportive school environment for girls to complete their education. For example, households with adolescent girls receive grants for books, school supplies, uniforms and boarding costs. In 2023, 80 474 girls were reached by this support. These girls are less likely to be married off and become teenage mothers. Educated mothers are better able to provide for their families, which benefits society and future generations.
Updated: October 11, 2024