As part of Kufadza, Zambia’s first all-female anti-poaching community scout unit, I am proud to be part of this transition, impacting women’s involvement in the conservation landscape across the African continent.
According to recent figures, only 11% of wildlife rangers are female. Most factors limiting women’s equal participation in rangering are universal. In other words, gender norms have deep cultural roots and ingrained attitudes that hold women back from participating in outdoor activities that are deemed ‘physically demanding’.
However, I am living proof that these statistics should not phase those who want to play their part in the conservation mission but drive them to join the cause.
*The views of the above article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Africa Speaks 4 Africa or its editorial team.