#WeCareForHer Equality project

 

This study critically examines the opportunities and challenges within Zimbabwe's Parliamentary Constituency Development Fund (CDF) in addressing the needs of women and girls at the community level. The paper is informed by national research that evaluates the CDF’s effectiveness in advancing gender equity and alleviating the socioeconomic burdens faced by women and girls. Despite its potential as a key government initiative for community development, the CDF’s specific impact on women and girls, particularly in reducing Unpaid Care and Domestic Work (UCDW), remains underexplored. This paper relies on empirical evidence from national study and assesses CDF implementation, uncover barriers to equitable benefit distribution, and propose strategies for enhancing gender responsiveness. It analyses how CDF intersects with women's political, economic, social, and environmental rights. Further, the paper aims to promote greater female representation in leadership and decision-making processes. Broadly, this paper contributes to the growing and important discourse on gender-responsive governance and community development in Zimbabwe, offering critical insights for policy reform and socio-economic empowerment.

Unpaid Care and Domestic Work (UCDW), such as caregiving, household chores, and related responsibilities, is disproportionately shouldered by women and girls globally. In Zimbabwe, entrenched societal norms and gendered expectations assign these tasks primarily to women and girls, perpetuating historical inequities in both paid labour and social status. This paper examines the far-reaching impact of UCDW on the socio-economic status, rights, and agency of women and girls in Zimbabwe. Through an intersectional analysis, it explores how patriarchal cultural norms, economic factors like poverty and inadequate public services, and institutional structures reinforce the gendered distribution of labour, restricting women's access to education, economic opportunities, and political participation. Drawing on empirical evidence and corroborating with existing literature, the study highlights the role of UCDW in perpetuating gender inequality and limiting women's empowerment in Zimbabwe, with broader implications for policy interventions aimed at promoting gender equity and economic justice. The findings underscore the need for structural reforms and shifts in cultural perceptions to reduce the disproportionate burden of UCDW and enhance women's socio economic mobility and rights.

As part of the #WeCareForHer equality project, the Health Law and Policy Consortium (HLPC) conducted a national research on the impact of unpaid care and domestic work (UCDW) on women and girls in Zimbabwe. This research aimed to understand the effects of UCDW on the daily lives of women and girls in navigating cultural, economic, political and social challenges. Through qualitative research methods such as focus group discussions, in depth interviews and key informant interviews, the study sought to capture the voices and experiences of women and girls in relation to UCDW. Other community members such as men, boys, community leaders and relevant stakeholders such as Members of Parliament (MPs), Councilors, Mayors, representatives from the Ministry of Women's Affairs, Small and Medium Enterprises Development, Civil Society and community-based organisations leaders were also engaged to share their views on the research topic.