Blessing Nduku
The Vendor Initiative for Social and Economic Transformation (VISET), in collaboration with Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, recently held an Informal Sector Women’s Symposium on Gender, Justice, and Policy Positioning in Gweru.
During this event, women traders called for urgent policy reforms to ensure safe and dignified working conditions for those in Zimbabwe’s informal economy.
The symposium brought together women vendors, civic society organizations, policymakers, and gender justice advocates to discuss the
challenges faced by women in the informal sector and propose practical solutions aimed at improving their working conditions and economic security.
Participants highlighted that women are the backbone of Zimbabwe’s informal economy, yet they continue to work under harsh and unsafe conditions that expose them to exploitation and injustice.
One of the major challenges raised was the lack of ablution facilities at many vending sites in Gweru.
Women expressed that operating for long hours without access to clean and free toilets compromises their health, dignity, and productivity.
The discussions also condemned the ongoing confrontations with municipal police and council authorities, describing these encounters as disruptive and harmful to women who rely on vending as their main source of income.
Additionally, participants noted the shortage of vending bays, which forces many traders into undesignated spaces where they remain vulnerable to harassment and displacement.
Concerns were raised about corruption in the allocation of vending bays, with allegations that official waiting lists are often ignored, leaving deserving applicants sidelined through unfair and non-transparent processes.
A particularly troubling issue discussed was “sextortion,” with participants revealing that some women face demands for sexual favors in exchange for access to vending spaces or protection from harassment.
One participant stated, “No woman should be forced to trade her dignity for a vending space.
This is exploitation that demands urgent policy action.”
For nursing mothers, the absence of safe and supportive vending spaces was identified as a significant barrier, as many are delegates urged councils to strictly adhere to official waiting list records when allocating vending bays, ensuring transparency and fairness.
The symposium further called for stronger and afford able enforcement of gender-based violence laws, allowing women to report abuse and exploitation without financial barriers.
Additionally, participants proposed constructing modern vending sites with daycare facilities, enabling nursing in “time poverty,” a condition in which the overwhelming demands of unpaid care work leave them with little time to grow their businesses, rest, seek education, or participate in decision-making platforms.
One participant remarked, “Time poverty is silently robbing women of economic opportunities.
A woman cannot fully grow her business when she is expected to carry the full burden of unpaid care work before and after forced to work in unsuitable environments while caring for infants.
To address these challenges, the symposium proposed several solutions and policy interventions.
Participants called on local authorities to construct proper vending sites equipped with clean and free toilets, arguing that sanitation is a basic right that should not incur extra costs.
They also recommended the establishment of accessible vending sites that cater to all women, including those living with disabilities.
To eliminate corruption, mothers to work in safe spaces while their children are cared for nearby.
VISET and Friedrich Ebert Stiftung emphasized the need for gender-responsive policy reforms that recognize the contribution of women in the informal sector and safeguard their rights.
The symposium noted that the unpaid care work performed by women remains largely unrecognized in economic planning and policy frameworks, despite its direct impact on women’s productivity and financial growth.
Speakers stressed that women in the informal sector are trapped trading.”
Delegates noted that time poverty increases women’s vulnerability to exploitation, including sextortion, as women under pressure to balance caregiving and income generation are often forced into desperate situations.
“When women are stretched for time and resources, they becomemore vulnerable to abuse and coercion.
This is why reducing unpaid care work is not just a social issue, but an economic justice issue,” another participant stated.
