Across the world, people in urban (rather than rural) areas are more likely to support gender
equality – in education, employment and leadership, for example. To explain this global trend, this paper
engages with a geographically diverse literature and comparative, rural-urban ethnographic research from
Zambia. It suggests that ideas spread more quickly in interconnected, heterogeneous, densely populated
areas. Through multiple sightings of others doing things differently, people come to question their prior
assumptions, revise their beliefs about cultural expectations, and become more inclined to likewise adopt
alternative practices – thereby fostering a positive feedback loop. This – distinctly urban – process has
increased exposure to women demonstrating their equal competence in socially valued, masculine roles.
Such exposure tends to disrupt gender ideologies and catalyse a positive feedback loop, thereby increasing
flexibility in gender divisions of labour. Women in densely populated areas also tend to have greater
access to health clinics and police, so are more able to control their fertility and secure external support
against gender-based violence. However, the urban is not inevitably disruptive. Experiences of the urban
are shaped by international and national policies, macro-economic conditions and individual
circumstances. Through this comparative ethnography, this paper seeks to contribute to the rich, existing
literature on the drivers of change and continuity in gender ideologies.