Tendai Gukutikwa
Post Reporter
MANICALAND is one of the provinces hardest hit by the El Nino-induced drought, wreaking livelihoods of women, while simultaneously exacerbating gender inequality in rural communities.
As the negative shocks of the drought wreak havoc in rural communities, Zimbabwe Gender Commission (ZGC) held a provincial gender forum in one of the hardest hit districts – Buhera – last Friday and came face-to-face with struggles being fought by women in silence.
The forum was a build-up to the National Gender Forum set for Gwanda next month, and brought together stakeholders to discuss the gendered impact of environment and climate change challenges, blamed for widening the gender equality gap in the province.
Women directly affected by drought told The Manica Post that their family set-ups are being threatened by gender inequality.
Mrs Ennett Pakaripa, a subsistence farmer in Nyashanu in Buhera, said drought has severely affected her family, and changed all the gender equality dynamics for them.
“All rivers are dry, and water woes are persisting. In fact, I have to fight off livestock daily as I fetch water from the borehole, which is a distance from my home.
“Water is now more precious than ever, and my husband, who used to help, has since stopped as he cannot cope with the daily struggle. I am left to hunt for the precious liquid myself, and though it is a daily struggle, I have no choice as the children depend on me,” she said.
She added: “This drought has taken everything from us. We did not harvest anything, our crops wilted before reaching maturity, while some of our livestock died. We are fighting for water with the few remaining livestock.”
Her community fetches water until 9am after which the water is reserved for livestock.
The community borehole is opened to villagers at 4pm.
Before the drought, Mrs Pakaripa said, they would work together with her husband, sharing responsibilities, including fetching water.
“Now I am the one who wakes up at dawn to fetch water, cook and take care of the children. I am left to bear the burden alone. I have seen it happening to many women in our community. The drought has taken everything from us, our husbands have given up, leaving us to fend for ourselves, and take care of the children alone,” she said.
Another woman, Ms Chido Maingepi, of Mutare rural, echoed similar sentiments.
“Apart from destroying our crops, the drought has turned my husband to beer drinking, leaving me to take care for the children, scavenge for food and water to survive. I have tried to reason with him, but he just brushes me away. I am alone in this struggle – a struggle which is invisible and unnoticeable to many.
We cannot bear the brunt alone. The drought is taking a toll on us,” she said.
General Agriculture and Plantation Workers Union of Zimbabwe’s national negotiator, Mrs Hwiridzayi Gurure said the situation is worse for female plantation and estate workers, who are being laid off first because of the drought.
“I have witnessed first-hand the devastating impact of climate change, particularly on women in Manicaland, as a good number of them were laid off in July and August. We are working to see that there is gender balance in laying off workers. Women are now left to take care of the family without any source of income, which is a really sad situation. There is need to address cultural norms and biases that woman have to go first when workers are being laid off.
Women are already shouldering the bulk of caregiving responsibilities, forced to travel long distances to fetch water and firewood, increasing their workload and vulnerability to climate-related shocks.
“I believe part of the solution is to involve women in climate change decision-making processes so that their voices can be heard and their needs are met,” said Mrs Gurure.
ZGC vice-chairperson, Commissioner Obert Matshalaga said there is need for quick gender-equitable solutions to address unique challenges being faced by women in the context of environment and climate change.
This, he said, can be done through adopting gender-sensitive approaches to climate resilience and environmental sustainability.
Commissioner Matshalaga, said the current climate change conditions that have resulted in the El-Nino induced drought have contributed significantly to the threat against gender equality in the province.
He also said women are usually responsible for natural resource management, making them more vulnerable to climate-related shocks.
“Although men and women are impacted similarly by environment and climate change, women are disproportionately affected as they rely heavily on the environment for household provision and livelihoods. The impact threatens to reverse the gains made over the years in promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment by further exacerbating vulnerabilities through disrupted livelihoods, increased food insecurity, compounded by water and energy challenges,” said Commissioner Matshalaga.
Buhera District Development Coordinator, Mr Freeman Mavhiza said their region is one of the hardest hit districts in the province and country, deepening gender inequality as women are left to bear the brunt of the crisis.
He said women are being burdened with more responsibilities, including those abandoned by their male counterparts.
Mr Mavhiza said gender equality is important in addressing the impact of drought in communities, adding that gender-sensitive policies and programmes are needed to empower and integrate women into climate change decision-making processes.
“Gender inequality has deepened and women are bearing the brunt of the crisis as they are forced to take on more responsibilities, shouldering the burden of caregiving, while men often abandon their duties. We must recognize the disproportionate effect of climate change on women and ensure their participation in decision-making processes. This includes providing training and capacity-building programs to enhance their resilience,” he said.
