PMRC’s briefing highlights how COVID‑19 has had deeply gendered effects in Zambia, disproportionately burdening women and girls. Lockdowns and school closures amplified women’s “double burden” — increasing unpaid care work, childcare, and home-schooling responsibilities. The pandemic also worsened gender-based violence, with reported cases rising significantly in 2020, especially against women and girls.
Teenage pregnancies and child marriages rose during the crisis: many girls dropped out of school due to pregnancy or early marriage, and their access to sexual and reproductive health services was curtailed.
Economically, COVID‑19 hit women hard. A large share of women work in the informal sector — domestic work, street vending, daily labor — and lacked social protection. Over 86 % of women-led firms saw decreased sales, while nearly 93 % reported reduced liquidity. Reduced household income forced families to cut back on essentials, threatening food security.
PMRC argues that these unequal impacts undermine women’s voice and social power, as economic shocks reduce decision-making capacity in households and communities. To address this, the paper recommends gender-sensitive policy measures: strengthened social protection, better‑targeted cash transfers, collecting disaggregated gender data, and ensuring women’s meaningful participation in response planning.
