Women in the informal sector amid COVID-19: implications for household peace and economic stability in urban Zimbabwe

Thorny the paths they tread, Zimbabwean women and the COVID-19 Pandemic: A womanist reflection

“…The pandemic impacted most Zimbabwean businesses, the smallto-medium enterprises (SMEs) and those in the informal sector that employs the majority of the population, about 80% (Chirisa et al 2021;Chirume & Kaseke 2020;Dzawanda, Matsa & Nicolau 2021). The pandemic affected women disproportionately, as they constitute the majority of those in the informal sector (Zhanda et al 2022). Lockdowns prevented women from trading at the local markets or engaging in cross-border trading, and finding other alternative means of making a living was difficult (Dzawanda et al 2021).…”

“…Some churches responded by finding ways to cushion those bearing the brunt of the economic impact of the pandemic, including assisting the poor with food hampers (World Council of Churches 2021). Furthermore, through the Zimbabwe Council of Churches (ZCC), they raised awareness on the plight of the people by advocating for the government of Zimbabwe to fulfil its social assistance obligations to vulnerable groups (Chamunogwa 2021:21-22;Zhanda et al 2022). According to womanists, assisting and advocating for the impoverished is an acknowledgement of God's special preference for the poor and the marginalised in society (Douglas 1994).…”

Assessing climate change and urban poverty in the context of the COVID 19 lockdowns: Rethinking personality and societal challenges in Zimbabwe

“…The country's rate of urbanisation in 2020 was 32,24%, resembling a third of the population living in urban areas [88] . Most people reside in peri-urban and rural areas where they engage in farming and frequent urban areas to market farm produce informally [92] . Poverty levels in Zimbabwe are very high, with a Gini coefficient of 0.39 [54] .…”

“…The world in general and Zimbabwe, in particular, has experienced rapid urbanisation in the past decades and has been dubbed the urbanisation of poverty [5] . The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated urban poverty and suffering due to nationwide lockdowns, which meant that people in formal and informal sectors could not work [92] . People lost their savings and income as money that was meant for investment was channelled towards food procurement.…”

“…The urban populace resorted to menial jobs and other activities such as vending and urban farming to make ends meet [92] . In Zimbabwe, the national lockdown was enforced in late March 2020 and was later relaxed at the beginning of May to allow informal and formal economies to operate freely [92] .…”