Women’s Access to Communal Land: A Case Study of Siabuwa, Binga, Zimbabwe
Author : Muleya Jameson Denzilizium, Ziweya Progress and Makokoro Paradzai Prince
Abstract :
While it is appreciated that Zimbabwe has shown advancement in gender equality legal framework, it is worth to mention that it is still far from achieving the actual average equality standard in resources allocation. One of the area which is lagging behind is on the uneven distribution of communal land between men and women as it is skewed towards men. Most rural women are struggling to fully access and control communal land despite being their main source of livelihood. Implementation and monitoring of land policies is inadequate in rural areas leading to women’s suffering. This research assessed the challenges faced by rural women in accessing communal land in Zimbabwe’s Binga area. In doing so, a qualitative ethnographic case study of Siabuwa, in Binga, Zimbabwe was chosen methodology. In-depth interview with key informants was the main method employed in soliciting data from participants. Other methods such as Focused Group Discussion and participatory observation were also used to obtain data. The research findings revealed that most rural women still suffer discrimination as women to fully access and control communal land. Traditional leadership institution is dominant in the land allocation in Binga. The study aims to act as an eye opener to interested stakeholders and in particular government on the difficulties faced by rural women in accessing communal land and how this negatively affects development. The study is also meant to signify the need for a rethinking other strategies to enable access to land for the disadvantaged rural women.
Keywords :
Discrimination, women, communal land, access, control
