🇿🇲 BRIEFING | Women take just 32 of 224 decided seats in Zambia’s new Parliament
Women will occupy just 32 of the 224 parliamentary seats so far determined from Zambia’s 2026 general election, leaving the incoming National Assembly overwhelmingly male, according to Electoral Commission of Zambia figures.
The ECZ list of elected Members of Parliament shows 192 men against 32 women, meaning female lawmakers account for about 14 percent of the elected MPs declared so far, compared with roughly 86 percent for men.
The UPND emerged with the largest parliamentary bloc, winning 137 of the 224 determined constituencies. The National Reconciliation Party for Unity and Prosperity (NRPUP) follows with 59 seats, while independent candidates secured 20.
The Resolute Party won five seats, Citizens First secured two and Zambia Must Prosper took one, giving the new Parliament a wider spread of political representation despite the UPND’s substantial advantage
Two of Zambia’s 226 constituency seats remain unresolved. These are Mandevu Constituency in Lusaka and Lumezi North Constituency in Eastern Province, meaning the final elected composition could still change slightly once both contests are concluded.
The figures nevertheless point to a persistent representation gap. Women make up roughly half of Zambia’s population but, among the parliamentary contests decided so far, they have secured only about one in every seven seats, keeping gender representation among the major questions facing the incoming National Assembly.
– The People’s Brief | Francine Lilu