ABSTRACT
During the precolonial period, the people of Zambia regulated sexual relations through various customs and laws. In precolonial Zambia, male elders' control over women's productive and reproductive labor was a key ingredient for maintaining patriarchal authority. In matrilineal groups, which predominate in Zambia, property is inherited through the female line. When the British first arrived in Central Africa, they reacted negatively to many African customs, particularly those that apparently mistreated women. The growing autonomy of women in rural and especially in urban areas began to disturb both African and colonial authorities. Colonial administrators, missionaries, and both rural and urban African leaders became increasingly alarmed about the informal marital arrangements in town. Unlike West Africa, women did not dominate the marketplace in Zambia. Colonial and African authorities asserted certain moral values that supplied women with grounds for litigation.
