Women made up more than half of Zambia’s registered voters in the 2026 General Election, accounting for 53.1% of the 8.79 million registered voters. Their participation, and the barriers they face, therefore matter deeply to the credibility and inclusiveness of the electoral process.

Against this backdrop, the Réseau de soutien électoral d'Afrique australe (ESN-SA) trained eight trainers from the Zambia National Women’s Lobby (ZNWL) from 29–31 July 2026 to strengthen their ability to observe elections through a gender lens. Through practical exercises, group discussions and mock polling-station simulations, participants explored Zambia’s electoral context, the role of election monitors, and how gender-related barriers can be identified and documented throughout the electoral cycle.

To put this into practice, participants were introduced to the ESN-SA Gender Checklist for Free and Credible Elections in SADC, which provides a practical framework for identifying and documenting gender-related barriers throughout the electoral cycle. Trainers were shown how to use the checklist to capture evidence across five areas, from the legal and institutional framework to voter education, political parties and campaign finance.

The training was designed to multiply its impact. The eight trainers cascaded their knowledge across Zambia, ultimately training 270 election observers to apply a gender lens in their observation and reporting. In this way, one three-day training helped create a much wider network of observers equipped to capture women’s experiences and barriers to participation.