Navigating the triple constraints: Post-vocational training experiences of self-employed women with disabilities in Zimbabwe

Despite the widespread use of vocational training as a strategy to promote economic inclusion, women with disabilities remain significantly underrepresented in self-employment, particularly in developing countries like Zimbabwe. This study aimed to gain deep insight into how women with disabilities in Zimbabwe experience and navigate self-employment after completing vocational training, with particular attention to the challenges associated with gender, disability, and self-employment. Using a descriptive-phenomenological design grounded in Husserlian philosophy, the study engaged 10 purposively selected women with disabilities who had graduated from vocational training centres and were self-employed. Data were collected through in-depth, semi-structured interviews and analysed in two phases: initial coding in MAXQDA and thematic interpretation using Giorgi's descriptive phenomenological method. Five superordinate themes emerged: (1) Inadequate skills training, (2) Structural and financial barriers, (3) Gendered and ableist discrimination, (4) Individual ingenuity and resourcefulness, and (5) Market access and appropriateness. These themes illustrated how systemic, social, and environmental factors intersect to both hinder and motivate women's entrepreneurial efforts. Vocational training alone is insufficient to empower women with disabilities in self-employment without structural support, inclusive social systems, and context-sensitive programming.