CHURCH AND SOCIETY

Women and youth in Zambia experience many issues concerning political participation, empowerment, and marginalization. For example, in terms of political participation, youth in Zambia feel excluded from the political process and marginalized because of their age. Consequently, only 43% of young men and 23% of young women participate in politics. Even though Zambian youth tend to be civically involved in their communities, especially religious activities, there are few leadership positions open to them, especially for young women. In terms of issues Zambian women have to face, a girl’s right to an education tends to be undermined by early childhood marriage. For example, 8% of Zambian girls are married before they’re 15 and 41% are married by the age of 18. This results in only 38% of girls being educated beyond primary school.

Therefore, in order to speak for voiceless populations in Zambia, the CCAP Synod of Zambia formed the Church and Society Department. The Church and Society Department was started in 1994 and focuses on the importance of voting, participating in elections, and advocating for marginalized people. The department was formed mainly to address societal issues and advocate for human rights for the most marginalized groups in Zambia, such as women, youth, people will disabilities, or people whose rights have been ignored. For example, Church and Society is currently organizing programs that focus on encouraging political participation for CCAP congregation members. The department would like to sensitize people to their rights in order to become more politically engaged in their communities, giving them more of a voice in their society. Church and Society is also currently organizing programs that advocate for women’s issues such as girl’s education and early childhood marriage. The department plans on advocating for these topics at the congregational, presbytery, and synod level in order to reach as many congregants as possible. The department hopes to partner with other CCAP Synod Church and Society departments in other countries as well as other non-profit organizations that center on political participation and social issues.

Status: The Church and Society Department currently has no sources of funding.