This gender profile of Zambia is an update and follow-up to the Beyond Inequalities: Women in Zambia (BIWZ) that was published in 1998. Using mainly secondary data sources, this update presents socio-economic and political data on women and men from 1998 to 2003 in selected areas of socio-economic development. The first report presented socio-economic and political data on women and men for the period of 18 years from 1980 to 1998. Since 1998, Zambia has developed and adopted a National Gender Policy (NGP), which identifies the gender issues and concerns which need action to change the situation and enable women and men to participate equally and equitably in the national development process. The NGP recognises various international and regional conventions and agreements on the promotion of women’s human rights and gender equality in development. This publication assesses the progress made in relation to the implementation of the NGP, the Beijing Platform of Action (BPFA) commitments, and the SADC Gender and Development Declaration.