Socialist internationalism and state feminism during the Cold War: the case of Bulgaria and Zambia

Abstract

After independence, the southern African country of Zambia was governed by the United National Independence Party (UNIP), which, from 1972, ruled in a “one party participatory democracy.” Although Zambia initially hoped to remain non-aligned, after 1972, the country embraced a socialist path to development and began to rely heavily on aid from the Eastern Bloc. Women had been key participants in the struggle for national independence and continued to play a role in the UNIP party. This article examines the political economy of aid transfers from state women’s organizations in Eastern Europe (in particular from Bulgaria) to the nascent Zambian women’s movement, with a specific focus on the bilateral aid sent to develop and support the UNIP Women’s League. Through exchange visits, educational scholarships, travel grants and specific technical and logistical support, the Eastern Bloc countries built state feminist capacity within Zambia and helped Zambian women find their political voices on the international stage during the United Nations Decade for Women (1975-1985).