This article examines the causes of women’s rising political participation in Zambia. It argues that
women’s historical paucity in politics was largely the result of widely-shared gender stereotypes.
These are now weakening due to growing flexibility in gender divisions of labour, which has been
catalysed by worsening economic security. By performing work previously presumed to be beyond
their abilities and valourised because of its association with masculinity, such women are increasingly
perceived as equally capable of leadership. This gradual erosion of gender beliefs has fostered
women’s political participation and leadership in Zambia.