Gendered Inequalities in the Informal Economy in Masvingo Urban of Zimbabwe

Abstract

This paper focuses on the gendered inequalities in the informal economy of Zimbabwe with specific reference to Masvingo urban in Zimbabwe. The informal economy in Zimbabwe is made up of unregistered and unrecorded statistics and therefore is not registered, supported or regulated by the Government. Women trading in the informal economy have little or no access to organised markets, credit institutions, formal education and training institutions, public services and amenities. Qualitative research methodology was used for the research. A case study research of Masvingo urban in Zimbabwe was used, while data was collected using key informant interviews, semi-structured interviews, observations and documentary search. The findings of the study indicates that women in the informal economy are affected by environmental, political, economic, social and personal constraints. Women are concentrated in this sector due to the value system in the society; fewer skills required for the jobs in this sector, technological advancement, and the traditional roles assigned to them. The study concludes that gender-sensitive macro-economic policies are an important enabler to address gender inequalities in the informal economy as they shape the economic environment for women’s empowerment. The study recommends that local authorities should come up gender-responsive policies to enable women to operate in an environment that has decent infrastructure for vending, free from police and sexual harassment and adequate security.