Locked opportunities
Barriers to constituency development fund access
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 22111968 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Patricia Mwaka Mphanza Ndhlovu (0009-0006-4381-3281, University of Zambia, corresponding author), Nilanjana Kumari (Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 12 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Publication date | 2026-12-31 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Cogent Social Sciences (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2331-1886 • E-ISSN: 2331-1886 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/23311886.2026.2618288 |
| OpenAlex | W7125529300 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 16 |
This study investigates the barriers hindering women and youth from accessing the Constituency Development Fund. Using a qualitative approach, data was collected from 65 respondents through key informant interviews and focus group discussions across four wards of Lusaka Central Constituency complimented by document analysis. The findings reveal enduring inequalities, including limited awareness of the Constituency Development Fund and its processes, insufficient tailored support mechanisms, and entrenched socio-cultural norms. Grounded in empowerment theory, the analysis underscores how unequal power relations and lack of agency limit the ability of women and youth to make strategic decision and actions regarding access to the Constituency Development Fund opportunities. Similarly, from a social exclusion perspective, the study demonstrates how institutional practices and gatekeeping by local elites perpetuate exclusionary dynamics that marginalise these groups from full participation in accessing the empowerment fund. While the Constituency Development Fund holds potential as a decentralised mechanism for promoting local development and providing the much-needed empowerment funds to women and youth, its current implementation tends to reinforce, rather than reduce, disparities in access. The study concludes with recommendations for regulatory reforms, enhanced awareness and capacity building initiatives, and strengthened transparency and accountability measures to ensure equitable, politically neutral access to the fund
Accountability · Capacity building · Empowerment · Focus group · Funding Agency · Gatekeeping · Qualitative research · Gender Politics and Representation · Microfinance and Financial Inclusion · Poverty, Education, and Child Welfare
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |