Building a coalition for change, equipping young women for leadership, and amplifying their voices: This is what the Coalition for Women in Politics (COWIP) set out to do. Between June 2023 and November 2024, Green Forum and the Center for Young Leaders in Africa (CYLA) implemented COWIP with support from the Swedish Institute Creative Partnerships Programme. With the general elections approaching in August 2026, young women are poised to achieve greater representation in Zambia’s political leadership.

The gap is stark: at the last election in 2021, women won just 15% of seats in parliament and 7% of elected local positions, despite making up more than half of Zambia’s population. Young women face an even steeper climb — only one parliamentarian is under the age of 35.

Building a coalition for change 

Fifteen organisations — including women-led, youth-led, and community-based groups — came together to form the Coalition for Women in Politics. With the technical partners UNDP and NDI, the Coalition developed an advocacy strategy running through 2026, outlining reforms to strengthen women’s political participation and influence in Zambian politics.

Through this process, the Coalition found its collective voice. Along the way, members also reached a shared insight: rather than pushing for entirely new legislation, the priority is advocating for the implementation and amendment of policy frameworks that already exist, including provisions in the Constitution, the Gender Equality and Equity Act, and the Political Party Bill.

A representative from a CSO in the Coalition highlights the significance of building the Coalition: “The outreach activities of the project were really impactful because it was the first time that a group of organisations came together as a coalition to challenge the government to include more women as ministers and to strengthen gender equality in political representation and leadership.”

Equipping young women for leadership 

Through COWIP, 30 young women took part in a six-week mentorship programme, capacity-building sessions, and three Intergenerational Women’s Forums. These platforms enabled participants to learn from experienced leaders, strengthen their advocacy skills and commitment to women’s political rights, and connect with thousands of citizens online.

A YOWOP alumna describes the impact of the COWIP training: “The training helped transform theoretical knowledge into actionable skills, enabling me to advocate effectively for youth and women’s inclusion in political decision-making.” 

Extending the message 

COWIP also reached beyond Lusaka, with community outreach activities in Livingstone, Kitwe, and Chipata. Young women engaged with schools, universities, markets, traditional leaders and local radio, amplifying their voices in both urban and rural areas — and listening to what women and young people in communities far from the capital actually needed.  

“Yes, my organisation was following everything and especially the radio broadcasts did amplify the voices of young women”, a Coalition member from a CSO confirms. “The radio is a good channel for reaching out also in rural areas.”

Looking ahead 

Although the project has concluded, the Coalition it helped to build continues its work, led by its member organisations driving the advocacy efforts forward. The Coalition’s advocacy plan runs until 2026, and many of the young women trained through COWIP were preparing to contest in the upcoming Zambian elections, with a number of them having confirmed their intention to stand.

The 2026 elections will be a key test of how far these gains can go — and whether the voices of women, amplified through COWIP, will translate into greater representation in Zambia’s political leadership.

Key achievements 

• 15 CSOs joined the Coalition for Women in Politics, developing a shared advocacy agenda 

• 3 Intergenerational Women’s Forums held, connecting young women with experienced leaders  

• 30 young women mentored and trained in communication and leadership  

• 3 provinces reached through outreach and radio programmes  

• Advocacy strategy (2024–2026) developed and launched

• Coalition recognised at national level as a collective voice for women’s political participation