Women’s economic empowerment programmes in reducing intimate partner violence in Zimbabwe

Abstract

This study sought to explore Women’s Economic Empowerment (WEE) programmes implemented in Zimbabwe with the key objective of reducing Intimate Partner Violence (IPV). The study established that WEE programmes are increasingly being used as a tool for reducing IPV and could thus serve as a framework within which WEE programmes can be improved with the goal of reducing IPV in Zimbabwe. This novel single-embedded case study on WEE and IPV was underpinned by empowerment, capability, and liberal feminist and modernity theories.

Zimbabwe was purposively selected to provide a better understanding of why IPV cases are increasing in the wake of the implementation of WEE interventions embedding IPV reduction across the country. Methodologically, the sample included women who had been or were participating in WEE programmes at the time of the study, WEE implementing agencies, WEE programme funders, and government departments. Primary and secondary data were gathered using a questionnaire survey, semi-structured interviews, and document analysis. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics, the Multinomial Logistic Regression Model (MLRM) and thematic analysis.

The study established that the root cause of IPV in Zimbabwe is linked to household finances, leading to financial tension between intimate partners. However, this root cause is sometimes, exacerbated by socio-cultural and religious factors within the participants’ context. In practice, access to finances is the key factor that the livelihood component of WEE interventions has been trying to strengthen and the relationship between the variables has been found to be statistically significant and contributing positively towards the reduction of IPV.

Sustainable livelihoods are believed to be critical in the reduction of IPV if coupled with relevant training, adequate funding, and well-structured partnerships between implementing agencies. The sustainability of livelihoods has however, remained a pipedream in Zimbabwe as is the case in most developing countries in Africa. The study recommends refinement of existing national policies, statutes, and instruments taking into account the local context relative to the causes of IPV.

In addition, innovation towards improving sustainability of financial and technical support to existing WEE programmes must also be prioritised. Funding agencies are further encouraged to avail more funding towards research as well as WEE-related Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) to ensure challenges are timely identified. Then, partnerships among agencies implementing WEE programmes with IPV reduction objectives must be strengthened to avoid duplicating certain activities whilst neglecting other important activities and actions. Beneficiaries are encouraged to identify champions among themselves who can lead in re-examining and strengthening women's associations, networks, and movements at every level of society. In conclusion, the study theoretically contributes to a WEE-strengthening framework that can be used in practice to reduce incidences of IPV.

Lolu cwaningo lubheka izinhlelo zokuhlomisa nokuthuthukisa abasefazane olwazini nasemakhonnweni ezomnotho eZimbabwe ezaziwa ngokuthi yi- Women’s Economic Empowerment (WEE) ngesiNgisi, okunhlosongqangi yazo wukudodobalisa udlame oluba phakathi kwabo nalabo abasuke benobudlewane ngokothando nabo. Lolu dlame lubizwa phecelezi nge-Intimate Partner Violence (IPV). Ucwaningo lwathola ukuthi izinhlelo ze-WEE sezisetshenziswa kakhulu njengethuluzi lokudodobalisa udlame olusuke luphakathi kwezithandani, nanokuthi lungabhekwa njengohlaka olungasiza ukwenza ngcono izinhlelo ze-WEE. Lolu cwaningo olusha olumayelana ne-WEE nodlame lwezithandani lusekelwe kumathiyori amayelana nokuthuthukiswa kolwazi namakhono kanye neyamafeministi akhululekile nesimanje. IZimbabwe yakhethwa ngokwenhloso ukuze kuqondwe kangcono ukuthi kungani izigameko zama-IPV zisalokhu ziqhubekile nakuba izinhlelo ze-WEE ezihlose ukudodobalisa ama-IPV ziqhubeka ezweni lonke. Ngokwendlela yokuqoqa idatha, lolu cwaningo lusebenzise isampula lamakhosikazi ayekade eyingxenye ye-WEE ngesikhathi socwaningo, izinhlaka ezenza ukuthi i-WEE yenzeke, yilabo abangabaxhasi bezinhlelo ze-WEE, kanye neminyango kahulumeni. Ulwazi lokuqala olutholakala kubantu ngabakufundile noma abakubonile ezimpilweni zabo kanye nolwazi oselwaqoqwa lwagcinelwa abacwaningi ukuba balusebenzise lwaqoqwa kusetshenziswa uhla lwemibizo eyaye iphendulwe ukuze kutholakale ulwazi, ama-inthaviyu alandela uhla lwemibuzo evulelekile kanye nehlaziyamibhalo. Ulwazi lwahlaziywa ngokusebenzisa izibalo ezichazayo, i-multinomial Logistic Regression Model (MLRM) kanye nokuhlaziya ngokwendikima. Ucwaningo lwaveza ukuthi imbangela enkulu ye-IPV eZimbabwe yeyeme ezimalini zezidingo zekhaya, okuholela ezingxabanweni phakathi kwabathandanayo. Kodwa-ke ngezinye izikhathi le nkinga ibhebhethekiswa yizinto ezincike kusikompilo nenkolo yendawo ababambiqhaza abasuke behlala kuyo. Empeleni, ukuba nolwazi ngezezimali kuyinto emqoka kakhulu eyenziwa yi-WEE ezinhlelweni zayo ukuzama ukuqinisa ubudlelwane phakathi kwezinto ezahlukahlukene. Empeleni, ukuba nolwazi lwezezimali kuyinto emqoka kakhulu; okuyinto izinhlelo zosizo lokuphila lwe-WEE obeluzama ukuyithuthukisa. Okunye okwatholakala wukuthi ubudlelwano phakathi kwezinhlaka zosizo bubaluleke kakhulu ekwehliseni i-IPV. Impilo eyeyeme ozinzweni kukholakala ukuthi inamandla ekudodobaliseni i-IPV uma ihambisana noqeqesho olufanele, uzinzo kwezezimali, kanye nobambiswano phakathi kwezinhlaka ezibhekelele le nkinga. Uzinzo ezindleleni abantu abaphila ngazo kuyinto iZimbabwe eyithatha njengesemqoka kakhulu njengoba kwenzeka nasemazweni asathuthukayo e-Afrikha. Lolu cwaningo luncoma ukuthi amapholisi nemithetho ithi ukubuyekezwa kube kubhekwa nesimo sendawo esiyimbangela ye-IPV. Okunye futhi, kufanele kubekwe phambili ukucabanga ngezinto ezintsha ezingasiza zenze ngcono uzinzo lwezimali nokwesekeleka kwezobuchwepheshe ezinhlelweni eziqhubekayo ze-WEE. Izinhlaka zoxhaso lwezimali ziyagqugquzelwa ukuba zithi ukwelula isandla ekuxhaseni ucwaningo kanye nezinhlelo ezimayelana nokuhlola ingqubekelaphambili nomthelela we-WEE ukuze kuqinisekiswe ukuthi izinselelo zihlonzwa zisavela. Kuyobe sekufanele kube khona ubambiswano phakathi kwezinhlaka okumsebenzi wazo ukuqhutshwa kwezinhlelo ze-WEE ezihlose ukudodobalisa i-IPV. Lolu bambiswano, kufanele luthuthukise izinhlelo zokudodobalisa i-IPV, luphinde futhi lugweme ukuphindaphindwa kwemisebenzi efanayo okungaholela ekushayweni indiva kweminye imisebenzi esemqoka. Labo abangabahlomuli bayagqugquzelwa ukuthi bahlonze izingqwele eziphakathi kwabo ezizohamba phambili ekuhloleni kabusha nasekuthuthukiseni izinhlangano zabesifazane, ezokuxhumana, neminyakazo eyenzeka kuwo wonke amazinga omphakathi. Sekuphethwa, lolu cwaningo luphonsa esivivaneni ngokwethiyori engasiza ekuqiniseni uhlaka olungasetshenziswa ekuphileni ukuze kudodobaliswe izigameko ze-IPV. Amagama amqoka: umfazi, ukuthuthukiswa, women’s economic empowerment (WEE), intimate partner violence (IPV), ukuziphilisa, izinhlelo

Diphuputso tsena di batla ho sibolla lenaneo la tshebetso ya basadi ya moruo (WEE), tse sebedisitsweng Zimbabwe ka sepheo sa motheo sa ho fokotsa dintwa tsa balekane (IPV). Diphuputso tsena di hlahisitse hore WEE e a eketseha, e sebediswa e le sebetsa sa ho theola sekgahla sa IPV le ho sebetsa e le moralo ka hara lenaneo la WEE le ntlafatswang ka hara sepheo sa ho theola sekgahla sa IPV Zimbabwe. Mohopolo ona o mong, empa o sebedisa diphuputso tse ikgethang ka WEE le IPV di sekaseka ka matlafatso ya bokgoni, le ho topollo ya basadi le mawa a sejwalejwale. Zimbabwe e kgethilwe ka sepheo sa ho fana ka kutlwisiso e ntle ya hore na ke hobaneng ha ditaba tsa IPV di hola nakong ya tsosoloso ya bonamodi ha ho kenyelletswa IPV e fokotseng naha ka bophara. Mokgwa wa diphuputso e bile lefupu la bafuputsuwa le kenyelletsang basadi bao e neg e le bankakarolo lenaneong la WEE ka nako ya boithuto bona, ditsi tse sebedisitseng WEE le lenaneo la bafani ba WEE, le makala a mmuso. Ditaba tsa mantlha le tsa tlatsetso di bokelletswe ka tshebediso ya letoto la dipotso tsa diphuputso tsa ho lekola, dipotso tsa diphuputso tse sekgeqe, le ho sibolla tokomane. Ditaba di qhaqhollotswe ka mokgwa wa bohlalosi ka dipalopalo, Multinominal Logistic Regression Model (MLRM) le qhaqhollo ka tlhophiso ya mookotaba. Boithuto bo sibollotse hore motso wa bothata ba IPV Zimbabwe o ka hokahanywa le ditjhelete dipakeng tsa banyalani. Leha ho le jwalo, motso ona wa qaka ka nako e nngwe o ntshetswa pele ke bothata ba setjhaba le meetlo le ditumelo tse amang sebaka sa bankakarolo, ho fihlella ha ditjhelete e le yona ntho ya motheo ya karolo ya bophelo ba WEE bokenadipakeng bo lekilweng ho tiiswa le dikamano mabapi le diphetohane tse fumanweng ho ya ka dipalopalo di le bohlokwa mme di na le seabo se molemo bakeng sa ho fokotsa sekgahla sa IPV. Botsitso ba bophelo ba malapa bo sekgahla bo ka kopanywa le kutlwisiso e hokelang, tshebetso ya ditjhelete e lekaneng, le bolekani bo hahilweng hantle dipakeng tsa ditsi tse kenyang meralo ena tshebetsong. Botsitso ba malapa, leha ho le jwalo, bo setse e ntse e le toro e so tjhabelwe ke letsatsi Zimbabwe jwalo ka ha ho le jwalo dinaheng tse ntseng di thuthuha mona Afrika. Boithuto bona bo kgothaletsa hore ho ke ho hlophuwe botjha maano a setjhaba a seng a ntse a sebetsa, melao le disebediswa tse etellisang pele ditaba tsa lehae tse amanang le sesosa sa IPV. Ka hodimo ho moo, popontswa e thusang ho ntlafatsa botsitso ba ditjhelete le tshehetso ya thekenoloji ya mananeo a teng a WEE a tlameha ho tla pele. Ditsi tsa dithuto tsa ditjhelete di kgothaletswa hape ho fana ka dithuso tsa ditjhelete le ditataiso tsa WEE le ditlhahlobo (M& E) ho nnetefatsa hore diqholotso di hlokomeleha kapele. Setswalle sa ditsi tse sebedisang mananeo a WEE le sepheo sa ho theola sekgahla sa IPV di tiiswe ho qoba phetapheto ya dietsuwa; ha ka nako e nngwe hoo ho etsa hore ho iphapanyetswe dietsuwa tsa bohlokwa le diketsahalo. Majalefa a kgothaletswa ho utlwisisa bahlodi hara bona ba ka laolang ho hlahlojwa botjha le ho tshehetsa mekgatlo ya basadi ya dikgokahano, le mehwanto ya letsatsi le letsatsi ka hara setjhaba. Ho thetha, diphuputso tsena di ka sebediswa ho thusa ho ho WEE e thusang moralo o ka sebediswang tshebetsong ho fokotsa diketsahalo tsa IPV.