Rural Women: The Unsung Heroes of Zimbabwe’s Food Systems

By Ilyana Sithole

Today, on this International Day of Rural Women, the Zimbabwe Gender Commission emphasized the crucial role played by rural women towards contributing to the country’s food security. They contribute a lot, but these women face many different obstacles that hinder their potential.

The Commission said rural women in Zimbabwe constitute a major part of the farming population, yet they remain highly marginalized in terms of land ownership, access to resources, and decision-making processes. The recent drought situation and climate change exacerbated their vulnerabilities through increased food insecurity and gender-based violence.

The farming community constitutes 61% rural women, contributing about 70% of agricultural labor. Much as they would want to surmount all challenges, most spend 16 to 18 hours a day. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, an estimated 80% of women in communal areas engage in farming. While there is constitutional recognition of gender equality, there exist systemic barriers concerning voice, choice, and command over resources that women face.

This El Niño-induced drought has continued to worsen challenges like crop failures and loss of livestock, and therefore food insecurity that rural women must put up with. Women bear extra workloads, reduced education, and income opportunities, coupled with an increase in gender-based violence. This is further complicated by insecure tenure, limited access to agricultural inputs, and discrimination in agricultural extension services.

In view of these concerns, the Commission called upon the government and other relevant stakeholders to take appropriate and immediate action in terms of gender-sensitive policies, access to inputs and training, participation in decision-making processes, responses to climate change impacts, and awareness about gender-based violence. This would subsequently contribute to achieving food security and gender equality at a national level, in line with the goals of Zimbabwe.

The Commission accordingly reiterated its commitment to the advancement of rural women’s rights and empowerment toward a future where every woman would have an opportunity to prosper and be a contributor to the well-being of her community and country. Let us together create a future wherein every woman grows well and contributes toward the development of the community and the country as a whole.