Poverty alleviation and empowerment of rural women through self-help groups in Zimbabwe: a study of Shurugwi district in Midlands Province
Mhembwe, Smart
Women in different parts of the world, particularly rural women in developing countries
continue to face several socio-economic challenges. This qualitative study documents how self help groups are converted as tools to alleviate growing rate of poverty and for promoting
sustainable empowerment amongst rural women. Against the backdrop of various global,
regional and national efforts to alleviate poverty and to empower women, the study examines
the role of self-help groups in poverty alleviation and women empowerment amongst rural
women. Utilising a case study design, data were collected through focus group discussions and
in-depth interviews. Augmented by observations and extensive literature and policy reviews,
the findings of the research revealed that the majority of rural women utilise self-help groups
as sustainable drivers of socio-economic change particularly in promoting self-empowerment,
food security, employment opportunities, innovation and social cohesion. Thus, several rural
women restore their personal dignity through collective participation in self-help groups. The
results of the study confirm the theoretical concepts of the Sustainable livelihood framework
on how, the attainment of poverty alleviation and women empowerment relies on the number
of livelihood assets that poor rural women can acquire and possess. Thus, a combination of the
five assets by poor rural women organised in self-help groups enhance their efforts in achieving
desired livelihood outcomes. The study further notes that, the majority of rural women
mobilised in self-help groups attain the desired livelihood outcomes despite some missed key
opportunities and challenges they face. Notwithstanding the strides made in investing in
policies, particularly the National Gender Policy to promote poverty alleviation and
empowerment amongst women, particularly rural women, the socio-economic challenges of
mainly rural women remain unabated. Transformation in this regard calls for government to
regain political will, institutional capacity and build a professionalised, and adequately
capacitated human resource to implement and monitor all pro-women policies and
programmes. Various strategies for ensuring the longevity and sustainability of women’s self help groups are suggested.; Basadi dikarolong tse fapaneng tsa lefatshe, haholoholo basadi ba mahaeng dinaheng tse
tswelang pele ba ntse ba tobana le mathata a mangata a moruo wa setjhaba. Thuto ena ya boleng
e fana ka ho hlahisa kamoo dihlopha tsa ho ithusa di fetolwang e le disebediswa tsa ho fokotsa
sekgahla se ntseng se hola sa bofuma le ho kgothaletsa matlafatso ya moshwelella hara basadi
ba mahaeng. Kgahlanong le ho latela maemo a fapaneng a lefatshe, a dibaka, le a naha a ho
fedisa bofuma le ho matlafatsa basadi, thuto e hlahloba seabo sa dihlopha tsa ho ithusa
phokotsong ya bofuma le matlafatsong ya basadi hara basadi ba mahaeng. Ho sebediswa
moralo wa thuto ya mohlala, dintlha di ile tsa bokellwa ka dipuisano tsa dihlopha le dipuisano
tse tebileng. E matlafaditswe ka ditebello le ditlhahlobo tse ngata tsa dingodilweng le tlhahlobo
botjha ya maano, diphumano tsa phuputso di senotse hore basadi ba bangata ba mahaeng ba
sebedisa dihlopha tsa ho ithusa e le bokganni bo tsitsitseng ba phetoho ya moruo wa setjhaba,
haholoholo molemong wa ho kgothaletsa ho ipha matla,polokeho ya dijo, menyetla ya
mesebetsi, boqapi le bonngwe ba setjhaba. Kahoo, basadi ba bangata ba mahaeng ba kgutlisetsa
seriti sa bona ka ho kopanela ho nka karolo dihlopheng tsa ho ithusa. Diphetho tsa thuto di tiisa
menahano ya theori ya moralo wa mokgwa wa boiphediso wa moshwelella wa hore na
phihlello ya phokotso ya bofuma le matlafatso ya basadi e itshetlehile ka palo ya matlotlo a
boiphediso ao basadi ba futsanehileng ba mahaeng ba ka a fumanang le ho ba le ona. Ka hona,
motswako wa matlotlo a mahlano a basadi ba futsanehileng ba mahaeng ba hlophisitsweng ka
dihlopha tsa ho ithusa ba ntlafatsa boiteko ba bona ba ho fihlela diphello tse lakatsehang tsa
boiphediso. Thuto ena e boetse e bontsha hore basadi ba bangata ba mahaeng ba bokelletsweng
ka dihlopha tsa ho ithusa ba fumana diphello ditakatso tse lakatsehang tsa ho iphedisa le hoja
ba ile ba lahlehelwa ke menyetla ya bohlokwa hammoho le mathata ao ba tobaneng le ona. Ho
sa tsotellehe dikgatelopele tse entsweng mabapi le ho tsetela ka maano, haholoholo Leano la
Naha la Tekano ka Bong ho kgothaletsa phediso ya bofuma le matlafatso hara basadi,
haholoholo basadi ba mahaeng, diqholotso tsa moruo wa kahisano tsa basadi ba mahaeng di
ntse di tswela pele. Phetoho mabapi le sena e etsa boipiletso ba hore mmuso o boele o fumane
boikemisetso ba dipolotiki le bokgoni ba ditheo ho aha basebetsi ba porofeshenale, le ba nang
le bokgoni ba ho kenya tshebetsong le ho beha leihlo maano le mananeo ohle a tshehetsang
basadi. Ho kgothalletswa mekgwa e fapaneng ya ho netefatsa bophelo bo bolelele le bo
tsitsitseng ba dihlopha tsa basadi tsa ho ithusa.; Vamanana eka swiyenge swo hlaya swa misava, ngopfu ngopfu etindhawini ta le makaya eka
matiko lama ya ha hluvukaka, va ya emahlweni no langutana na mitlhontlho hi swa xiyimo xa
vanhu na ikhonomi. Ndzavisiso wa qualitative wu kombisa hilaha mitlawa ya vanhu vo
tipfuneta yi hundzuluxiwaka tanihi mathulusi ya ku hunguta xiyenge lexikulaku xa vusweti na
ku yisa emahlweni ku timbahata vamanana va tindhawu ta le makaya. Hi ku landza leswi
endlekaka eka misava, tirhijini na matshalatshala ya tiko ku hunguta vusweti na ku timbahata
vamanana, ndzavisiso wu kambela ndzima ya mitlawa ya ku tipfuneta eka ku hunguta vusweti
na ku timbahata vamanana va tindhawu ta le makaya. Hi ku tirhisa dizayini ya case study, ku
hlengeletiwe vutivi hi ku tirhisa mikanelo ya mitlawa na ti-interview to enta. Swi pfunetiwe hi
ku languta kunene leswi endlekaku na matsalwa yo enta, na ku languta pholisi, leswi kumiweke
swa rhiseche, swi kombise leswo vunyingi bya vamanana va tindhawu ta le makaya va tirhisa
mitlawa ya ku tipfuneta tanihi swisusumeto swa ku cinca xiyimo xa vanhu na swa ikhonomi,
ngopfu ngopfu ku yisa emahlweni ku titimbahata, nhlayiseko hi swakudya, tiophochuniti ta
mitirho, vutumbuluxi na ntwanano wa vanhu. Hikokwalaho, vamanana vanyingi ta tindhawu
ta le makaya va vuyisa xindzhuti xa vumunhu bya vona hi ku khoma xiavo hi ku hlangana eka
mitlawa ya ku tipfuneta. Vuyelo bya ndzavisiso byi tiyisa tikhonsepe ta thiyori ya rimba ra ku
tihanyisa hi ndlela yo ya emahlweni hi leswo xana ku nga fikelerisiwa ku yini ku hunguta
vusweti na ku timbahata vamanana, leswi swi titshege hi nhlayo ya tinhundzu ta ku tihanyisa
leti vamanana va tindhawu ta le makaya va nga ti kumaku na ku va na tona. Hikokwalaho,
nhlanganiso wa tinhundzu ta ntlhanu hi vamanana va vusweti va tindhawu ta le makaya va
kondletela mitlawa ya ku tipfuneta ku yisa emahlweni matshalatshala ya vona yo fikelela
vuyelo bya ku tihanyisa leyi va yi navelaku. Ndzavisiso wu tlhela wu lemuka leswo vamanana
va tindhawu ta le makaya va kondletela mitlawa yo tipfuneta ku fikelela vuyelo bya ku
tihanyisa hambi loko ku ri na tiophochuniti ta nkoka leti va tihupaka xikan'we na mitlhontlho
leyi va langutanaku na yona. Hambiswiritano, ku endliwe matshalatshala yo vekisa eka
tipholisi, ngopfu ngopfu tipholisi ta tiko ta rimbewu ku nga National Gender Policy ku yisa
emahlweni matshalatshala yo hunguta vusweti na ku timbahata vamanana, ngopfu ngopfu
vamanana va tindhawu ta le makaya, mitlhontlho hi xiyimo xa vanhu na swa ikhonomi swa ha
ya emahlweni ku karhata vamanana va tindhawu ta le makaya. Ku cinca eka xiyimo lexi swi
lava leswo mfumo wu tiyimisela na ku va na vuswikoti ku aka hi ndlela ya xiprofexinara, na
ku timbahata vanhu ku tirha hi ku landza no monithara tipholisi naa minongonoko yo vonelela
vamanana. Ku na maqhinga yo hlaya yo tiyisa ku ya emahlweni no tiya ka mitlawa yo tipfuneta
ya vamanana lama ya pimanyetiwaka laha.
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