Gendered dimensions of land and rural livelihoods: The case of new settler farmer displacement at Nuanetsi Ranch, Mwenezi District, Zimbabwe

Nuanetsi Ranch had been invaded by villagers from different parts of Mwenezi, Chiredzi and Chivi communal areas since 2000. In February 2010, the government announced that the settlers had to be removed and resettled in other ’uncontested lands’ in the area, compromising their rights to sustainable livelihoods, human development and land acquisition. The perceptions of the men and women resident at Chigwizi has had a bearing on understanding the nature of gendered land and rural livelihoods in the context of biofuel production in Zimbabwe, after fast track land reform

Migrating Out Of Poverty in Zimbabwe

This paper present preliminary results from the MOOP household survey conducted in Zimbabwe in 2015. We provide a profile of migrants and of their households and also explore perceptions of the value of migration. Finally we provide an agenda for further research using our data. Two observations are worthy of further research. First is the finding that male migrants send more money home to their families than female migrants, which we suggest is due to differences in job opportunities available to migrant’s at their destination (skilled construction for men and domestic work for women). However this finding ignores the value of non-cash remittances, which we intend to explore in future work. We also find that households while generally positive about the value of migration to their living standards, are less positive in the context of international migration. We suggest this reflects recent events in South Africa, not least the devaluation of the Rand and an intensification of xenophobia.DFI

A Human Rights Based Approach To Reproductive Health Amongst Adolescent Girls in Zimbabwe

The universality of all human rights cannot be denied. The discourse on human rights includes, reproductive rights, which have emerged to be controversial in African countries. This controversy has been exacerbated by economic, social, religious and political factors. The key issues posed in this thesis are, debates about whether adolescent girls should have access to dual protection methods, dual information measures, the right to education on sexuality and the right to participation in reproductive health programmes. This has led to the need to engage in Human Rights Based Approaches to Development (herein referred to as RBAD.) This is due to the fact that human rights, human development and development have proved to be mutually dependent concepts. This work demonstrates that civil, political, economic and social rights are interdependent, interlinked, interrelated and indivisible. I argue that due to the indivisibility of human rights, governments should not prioritize any single category of rights. As evidenced by the Zimbabwean case study which shows the existence of a hierarchy of rights where civil and political rights are given primacy over economic and social rights. Religious and cultural norms greatly influence adolescent girls` enjoyment of reproductive rights. National laws should not be used to go against the “democratic genesis” of international and regional human rights law. These practices should be abolished because Zimbabwe has ratified human rights conventions dealing with adolescent girls` right to information, protection measures, education and participation without any reservations. In this instance, treaty law is binding and Zimbabwe has to enforce the treaties in good faith. Finally I point that the Rights Based Approach to Development contribute to the politics of governance, service provision and shapes the policy making discourse. Zimbabwe should use the rights based approach in shaping its agenda for political, economic, social and religious governance. This study is multi disciplinary and is based on the RBAD and the Actors and structures methodology in international human rights law

BELONGING AND RURAL LIVELIHOODS: WOMEN'S ACCESS TO LAND AND NON-PERMANENT MOBILITY AT MERRIVALE FARM, MWENEZI DISTRICT, ZIMBABWE

The fast track land reform programme in Zimbabwe has reshaped rural livelihoods as land has become a major asset for rural people. The major question that I sought to answer in this study is how have rural women become important actors in accessing land and shaping non-permanent mobile livelihoods in the context of the fast track land reform programme, riddled with conflicts? The data for the article is based on an ethnographic study that I undertook at Merrivale farm, Tavaka village, from April 2009 until August 2012. Major results that emanated are that women have become major actors in land acquisition and non-permanent mobile livelihoods. Problematising the notion of conflicts from two angles in this paper helps in understanding how mobility, linked to land acquisition and land use, is central in the evolving of conflicts in the new resettlements. Connecting land access, social networks and mobility to South Africa and the conflict paradigm brings out how land-based livelihoods are embedded with social mishaps in the new resettlement. The concept of home becomes central in resolving conflicts and affects how conflict mechanisms are reached at Merrivale or in South Africa. I explore the conflict resolution approaches women used to solve at Merrivale and in South Africa

Les luttes des femmes pour l’accès et le contrôle de la terre et des moyens de subsistance après la réforme foncière accélérée au Zimbabwe

Introduction Dans la plupart des pays d’Afrique de l’Est et australe, les discussions sur la terre et les moyens de subsistance ont pris une importance croissante. Les débats de politique publique accordent une place de plus en plus importante à l’utilisation et à la gestion de la terre. La question de la mobilité temporaire est venue s’adjoindre aux débats déjà bien connus sur le genre, la terre et les moyens de subsistance, permettant une nouvelle exploration de la mobilité selon le genre à..