Structural adjustment and women in Zimbabwe

This article is based on a research project which examines the gender specific effects of the Economic Structural Adjustment Programme (ESAP) in one low‐income settlement in Harare. Although ESAP was only initiated in 1991 and the research is still in progress, it is already clear that urban households have been extremely negatively affected by the programme, with women faring even worse than men. Current policy trends which emphasise the effectiveness of women's coping strategies over‐estimate the extent to which women can compensate for low wages, rising prices and declining employment opportunities. It is argued that existing class and gender inequalities are being further exacerbated by ESAP, a strategy for development which only serves the interests of international and national capital.