Lusaka - Post Report Question and Answers
Are there problems with ethnic, race/racial minorities or religious prejudices? Gender equality?
Gender inequality is definitely a huge problem. - Mar 2022
Significant gender equality issues (gender-based violence, lack of land ownership rights for women, economic disparity). Some tribal prejudices. - Dec 2021
In general Zambia is welcoming to outsiders, so there are many refugees from the region here in addition to large Indian and Chinese communities, plus people of European descent who often have roots in Zimbabwe or South Africa. I'm clearly a foreigner here but I don't ever feel that I'm being stared at or treated differently (I do spend most of my time in Lusaka). If anything people go out of their way to be respectful and even deferential to foreigners.
As a woman I have never been harassed, although I know it happens occasionally. I don't feel unsafe or uncomfortable going around alone. And although most Zambian families are traditional in structure, in Lusaka many women work in professional jobs and in the government. - Feb 2018
Zambians are generally very welcoming to foreigners and people of different religions and ethnicities (though, as mentioned above, they can be extremely hostile to LGBTI persons). Gender equality remains a hot-button issue for the Mission, Zambian government, and civil society. Gender-based violence - most often domestic - is unfortunately common. - Jan 2017
Gender equality is a concern, but Zambia is moving to correct that. Which is more than can be said for some other countries. - Jun 2016
Zambia calls itself a Christian country but there are also sizable portions of the population who are Muslim or Hindu. I have not witnessed any religious prejudice but have a sense it might be lurking just beneath the surface. While there is not overt gender prejudice, many Zambians (and Southern Africans in general) tend to default to traditional gender roles. For example, in a staff meeting, I was told that the department was happy to have a woman on the team to make the tea... - May 2016
Not that I have seen. Zambians seem to have fewer issues than many when it comes to race. There is a Christian majority here but all religions seem to be well accepted. - Mar 2015
Not overwhelming issues. - Aug 2014
We havent experienced any. - Jan 2014
On the surface, at least, there seem to be few racial issues---interracial couples seem well accepted, for instance. As an outsider I am sure I don't understand or am privy to everything, though. Zambia has small but significant populations of Arabs, Indians, whites and others. Although Christianity is dominant, and Zambia considers itself a Christian country, other religions are free to practice. There are gender prejudicies, and it is most definitely easier to be a male in Zambian society. - Apr 2013
Yes and no. There is an overtly Christian mentality in the sense that even the government refers to this as a Christian nation, however there doesn't seem to be any tension at all between Christians and Muslims or Hindus. There are some Buddhists as well. Atheism is NOT understood, and there are TONS of missionaries all here with the goal of saving your soul from Satan. - Jul 2010
I don't think so. - Mar 2009
Not really. - Mar 2009
Not that we've experienced. - Aug 2008
Don't think so. - May 2008
