Zambia: Women Forced into Sex for Fish Due to USAID Aid Cuts

Impact of USAID Aid Cuts in Zambia

• 📉 USAID aid cuts, totaling $50 million annually for medical aid, have severely impacted Zambia, exacerbating existing problems.
• 💔 The abrupt nature of these cuts, implemented without advance notice, has disrupted crucial social protection programs, leaving vulnerable women and girls with no means of survival.

Dire Consequences for Women Fishers

• 🎣 A specific example highlights women resorting to selling sex for fish to rent boats and secure food for their families due to disrupted fishing support programs.
• ⚠️ This situation increases vulnerability and the risk of gender-based violence, directly contradicting goals for gender equality (SDG5).
• 🚫 The closure of women-led programs and shelters further limits support for survivors of violence, leaving them with nowhere to turn.

Challenges in Securing Alternative Funding

• 🤝 Action Aid Zambia is actively seeking alternative funding sources from bilateral donors, private foundations, and other partners to sustain programs.
• ⏳ The abrupt funding cuts have made it difficult to plan and implement alternative measures, emphasizing the need for predictable and sustainable financing.
• 🌍 The UN Conference on Financing for Development is a key venue for discussing these issues, pushing for social protection and alternative financing for the Global South.

Broader Crises in Zambia

• 🏜️ Zambia is facing multiple crises, including a severe drought threatening food security for millions and an ongoing energy crisis.
• 🌊 The country has also experienced significant floods, further complicating efforts to improve livelihoods and working methods.
• 💡 There is hope that internal domestic resource mobilization by the government could help sustain social protection programming.

Financing for Development and Human Rights

• ⚖️ The conference discussions emphasize that financing for development must be human rights-based and gender-responsive.
• 🗣️ A call is made for progressive taxation and tax compliance to enable countries in the Global South to resource their development agendas.
• 💖 The core message is that development financing is about human beings and their costs, not just numbers, to achieve the vision of 2030.