DEVELOPING nations worldwide are intensifying efforts to combat multi-dimensional poverty, a prerequisite for sustainable development.
This necessitates comprehensive counter-strategies that transcend fragmented approaches, instead embracing a holistic perspective that encompasses male- and female-headed households.
In Africa, headship is a vital indicator of impoverished households, despite recent calls to abandon this metric (Brown and van de Walle, 2020).
Poverty experiences diverge significantly between male- and female-headed households due to disparities in power dynamics, economic opportunities, cultural norms, and work-family support.
In sub-Saharan Africa, male-headed households are the norm, shaped by cultural expectations, while female-headed households often emerge from marital disruptions such as widowhood or divorce, making headship a valuable indicator for identifying impoverished households in Africa.
Zimbabwe has long-struggled with high levels of poverty, with poverty alleviation strategies being central to its economic policies since gaining independence.
Despite ongoing recovery efforts, multi-dimensional poverty remains a pressing issue, highlighting the urgent need for gender-sensitive policies
The complexity of poverty in Zimbabwe is driven by structural factors and worsened by economic policies, political instability, and external challenges such as climate change.
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This results in widespread hunger, malnutrition, limited educational access, social exclusion, and disenfranchisement.
Female-headed households are particularly at risk due to gender wage disparities, low-paying employment, lack of support, and obstacles to accessing public benefits.
Women globally encounter restricted job opportunities, with a notable increase in low-quality employment.
In Zimbabwe, women are the backbone of informal employment, often working without pay and taking on 70% of household responsibilities in rural regions (FAO, 2017).
The impacts of climate change further threaten their livelihoods, amplifying their workloads and diminishing economic prospects, particularly affecting households led by women. The world over, women are prevalent in informal and precarious jobs, with nearly 60% of their employment situated in the informal economy, a figure that exceeds 90% in low-income nations (International Labour Organisation, 2018).
In Zimbabwe, this situation is particularly stark, with 84% of the workforce engaged in informal jobs, 67% of whom are women. As vital contributors to Zimbabwe’s agricultural sector, women play a crucial role in ensuring food security for their families and communities.
Moreover, women represent the majority of paid caregivers in sectors such as health, education, and domestic work, yet this vital labour is often undervalued, underpaid, and insecure (United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, 2020).
Globally, women make up 80% of domestic workers, with 90% lacking social security and more than half enduring indefinite working hours.
International Women’s Day, which was marked on March 8, 2025, serves as a powerful reminder of the urgent need to empower women and girls. There is a critical necessity for gender-sensitive strategies aimed at eradicating poverty, particularly highlighting the unique challenges faced by female-headed households.
As we work towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), it becomes evident that gender equality is essential to the entire agenda.
SDG 5, which focuses on achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls, is closely interconnected with the other 16 goals. Without the empowerment of women and their active participation in productive economic sectors, we risk failing to meet our objectives.
Despite their vital contributions, women still encounter significant obstacles to economic empowerment. Limited access to credit, land ownership, and market opportunities, coupled with the burden of unpaid care work, restrict their full participation in the economy.
This not only perpetuates cycles of poverty and inequality but also undermines our collective progress.
To disrupt this ongoing cycle, we need to embrace a transformative strategy that places gender equality at the forefront of our efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The Beijing Platform for Action highlights that gender equality is crucial for eliminating poverty and promotes gender mainstreaming as a vital tactic in this fight.
Globally, there is significant discussion about the most effective macroeconomic policies to pursue. The high costs associated with doing business in developing nations, coupled with a patriarchal business culture and a lack of female role models, have intensified the challenges to development, further entrenching the feminisation of poverty.
Addressing this issue necessitates the implementation of policies and programmes that tackle the systemic barriers hindering women’s economic empowerment, while also involving men and boys as allies in the pursuit of women’s rights.
By collaborating, we can foster a fairer and more equitable society where everyone has the opportunity to thrive and contribute to the realisation of the SDGs.
A landmark report by the Mastercard Foundation and McKinsey & Company last year found that economically empowering young women in Africa could yield a staggering US$287 billion boost to the continent’s economy, equivalent to a 5% GDP increase, and generate 23 million jobs by 2030. However, urgent action is needed, as young women currently contribute only 11% to Africa’s GDP, far below their potential.
The country is on the move to bridge the financial gap, and the government is taking bold steps towards empowering women, youth, and small businesses.
The 2025 National Budget is about Building Resilience for Sustained Economic Transformation, and we are already seeing significant commitments to make financial resources more accessible to women.
Finance minister Professor Mthuli Ncube has allocated ZiG1,02 billion (US$75,76 million) to the Ministry of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises to facilitate empowerment programmes across the country. This move is a game-changer for promoting financial inclusion and reducing the gender gap in Zimbabwe.
However, the budget also aims to stabilise the macroeconomic environment and promote economic growth. By supporting women's empowerment and small businesses, the government can unlock the potential for sustainable economic transformation and reduce poverty.
Mitigatory strategies for the gender gap should also be cognisant that more efforts are required in rural as compared to urban areas, and that there is provincial heterogeneity in experiences of multi-dimensional poverty and the gender gap thereof
To effectively reduce poverty in Zimbabwe, devolution policies must be tailored to address the unique challenges of each province, considering the varying levels of multi-dimensional poverty across regions.
According to Zimbabwe economic policy analysis unit provinces such as Masvingo, Matabeleland North, and Matabeleland South, which bear the brunt of poverty, should be prioritised without neglecting other provinces.
By embracing a gender-sensitive strategy and tackling the specific challenges faced by each province, Zimbabwe has the potential to create a more promising future for its entire people. It is essential for government agencies and development partners to focus their initiatives on the disparities between rural and urban areas regarding gender issues
Finally, programmes aimed at social safety nets must recognise that legally female-headed households, such as those led by widows or divorcees, often experience greater deprivation than their de facto counterparts.
To effectively address the unique obstacles encountered by female-headed households, Zimbabwe's development partners should prioritise the gender gap in rural settings and customise social safety nets accordingly. By adopting this gender-sensitive approach, Zimbabwe can pave the way for a brighter future for all its citizens.
- Nyawo is a development practitioner, writer and public speaker. These weekly articles are coordinated by Lovemore Kadenge, an independent consultant, managing consultant of Zawale Consultants (Pvt) Limited, past president of the Zimbabwe Economics Society and past president of the Chartered Governance & Accountancy Institute in Zimbabwe. — [email protected] or mobile: +263 772 382 852.
