Chantelle Bongubukhosi Ncube
On this International Day of Rural Women, the world turns its gaze to the unsung heroines of society—rural women.
These women, often laboring quietly in the fields of Zimbabwe and across Africa, are the backbone of subsistance agricultural productivity, food security for families, and the survival of rural economies. Yet, despite their undeniable importance, they continue to face myriad challenges ranging from economic marginalization to limited access to resources, healthcare, and education.
In Zimbabwe, rural women represent a significant portion of the workforce in agriculture, with many toiling daily to grow food, support their families, and ensure community well-being. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), women in rural Africa produce 60-80% of the continent’s food, but they only own a fraction of the land. This stark inequality is felt acutely in Zimbabwe, where access to land, credit, and agricultural tools is limited for women, despite their contribution to food production.
Imagine a typical day for a rural woman in Zimbabwe. She rises before dawn, prepares meals for her family, and heads to the fields where she spends hours bent over the soil, tending to crops that may or may not yield enough to feed her household. After a long day of manual labor, she still must fetch water, care for children, and manage household chores. This routine is often repeated in the absence of mechanized farming equipment, with most women relying on basic tools like hoes and sickles.
Despite these hardships, the resilience of rural women shines through. They adapt to challenges with incredible ingenuity, finding ways to sustain their families even in the face of adversity such as droughts, economic instability, and the ravages of climate change.
In 2023, Zimbabwe was severely affected by the El Niño phenomenon, which caused prolonged droughts. Rural women bore the brunt of this crisis, struggling to cultivate crops in parched soil while continuing to care for their families. For many, survival was contingent upon their ability to persevere against these odds.
Their Importance in Society
Rural women in Zimbabwe are more than just workers—they are caretakers, community leaders, and custodians of indigenous knowledge. They play a pivotal role in the transmission of cultural traditions and the conservation of biodiversity. Women often grow and maintain seed varieties passed down through generations, ensuring that local crops remain resilient to environmental changes.
Despite the invisibility of their contributions, rural women are central to Zimbabwe’s economic structure. They produce food not only for consumption but also for sale in local markets, helping to drive local economies.
A UN Women report states that empowering rural women in agriculture could increase Zimbabwe’s agricultural output by up to 30%. Yet, their potential is stifled by societal constraints, with gender inequality limiting their access to formal education, healthcare, and legal rights.
The Plight of Rural Women: Economic and Social Barriers
Access to education remains a key challenge for rural women.
The Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (ZIMSTAT) estimates that only 55% of rural girls complete their secondary education, compared to 75% of urban girls. The cost of schooling, long distances to education institutions, and the expectation that girls will help with household chores often prevent them from finishing their studies. This lack of education perpetuates the cycle of poverty, as uneducated women are less likely to secure formal employment or gain access to credit facilities.
Healthcare is another area where rural women suffer disproportionately. Many rural communities in Zimbabwe have limited access to medical facilities, and women often must travel long distances to seek healthcare. This is particularly problematic for maternal health, as rural women face higher risks during childbirth. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that Zimbabwe’s maternal mortality rate is 458 per 100,000 live births, with rural areas experiencing the highest rates due to inadequate health services.
Empowering Rural Women: A Path Forward
There is an urgent need to uplift and empower rural women in Zimbabwe. Policies that ensure equal land rights, access to agricultural financing, and improved healthcare are essential to unlocking their full potential. Rural women must also be included in decision-making processes that affect their lives, from local government to national policy levels.
It is unfortunate that in most rural Zimbabwean set up, decisions of this nature are the prerogative of the headman or Chief.
It will, thus, remain a pipedream for rural women folks to partake in the decision making processes that affect their livelihood.
For instance, man headman or chiefs are males and there are some issues that, culturally, are a taboo, and will never be mentioned let alone be raised at a Chief’s Council.
As a way forward, the laws of the country must be changed to allow women to raise the daily challenges their encounter so as to improve their lives. Another progressive path is for groups who advocate for women emancipation and empowerment to focus their trajectories at rural women as well.
Furthermore, education and vocational training for rural women can help break the cycle of poverty and enable them to participate fully in the economy. Initiatives like microcredit schemes, which provide women with small loans to start businesses, have proven successful in other African countries and could be expanded in Zimbabwe to foster female entrepreneurship in rural areas.
On this International Day of Rural Women, it is vital to recognize the sacrifices and contributions of these women to Zimbabwean society. Rural women work tirelessly to feed, care for, and sustain their families and communities, often in the face of incredible hardship. Their resilience and strength should not only be celebrated but also supported with concrete actions that provide them with the tools, resources, and rights they deserve. As the backbone of Zimbabwe’s rural economy, their empowerment is crucial for the nation’s sustainable development and future prosperity.
It’s time to give rural women the recognition, support, and equality they deserve—not just for their sake but for the betterment of Zimbabwe as a whole. As we celebrate them today, let’s commit to building a more inclusive society that honors their contributions and uplifts their voices.
Zim GBC News©2024