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

Kelvin Zhanda,N. Garutsa,M. Dzvimbo,A. Mawonde

Published 2022 in Cities & Health

ABSTRACT

ABSTRACT This paper examines women's dynamics in the informal sector amid the COVID-19 pandemic and ramifications on household peace and economic stability. Sub-Saharan Africa's economic sectors are mainly informal, and women are the dominant constituents of the informal sector. Women engage in vending, cross-border trading to sustain household economic livelihoods. However, the informal sector has proved prone to public health emergencies such as cholera and dysentery and is currently reeling under COVID-19. The paper used explorative qualitative research and document analysis to gather data. The government of Zimbabwe used the lockdown as an opportunity to decongest the sprawling informal sector chocking the city pavements, and women in the informal sector felt that the lockdown measures were no longer meant to address the COVID-19 pandemic but to address challenges posed by them in the urban areas such as overcrowding. Findings show that these responses have largely impacted women, deepened their economic gender disparities, and increased food insecurity. The paper suggests the need to put household economic subsidies, social emergency plans such as monetary grants, and long-term programmes to cater to women whose families’ livelihoods depend on the informal sector, such as funding and regularisation of their businesses.

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