Early child marriage has, for the past years, become a critical topic of dialogue within the country amongst several stakeholders. Since 2011, the country has also reportedly seen drastic shifts regarding citizens’ human rights and freedoms, including those of association, assembly and expression. Further to that, in 2018, there were worrying reports of increased cases of attacks on journalists.

Civil society organisations in Zambia continue to experience some regulatory restrictions, with different laws and ministries regulating the operating environment of CSOs.  These are some of the challenges that IM together with partners’ programming are working to tackle.

As a result of IMs work in Zambia the last couple of years, more local leaders and stakeholders have denounced child marriages. By getting the local leaders engaged in the interventions, sustainable community efforts have ensured an inclusive and bottom up model of ending child marriages. Efforts to provide high quality and sustainable, youth–focused sexual and reproductive health information and services have seen more youths accessing services.

As civil society has become stronger, it has held policy makers and duty bearers to account in the implementation of national development plans. This has resulted in Government’s recognition and embracing of the role of CSOs in monitoring implementation of key national development plans.

IM has been working with partners in Zambia since 2016.