As with Hariana A1 land reform area, discussed in the last blog, we conducted participatory workshops on environmental changes in Ruia farms, also in Mvurwi area. In defining the ‘environment’, participants identified wetlands, wildlife, grass, trees and so on. One … Continue reading → …
Continue reading…
ZimbabweLand
Land use change in Hariana A1 resettlement area, Mvurwi, northern Zimbabwe
As discussed in the previous blog, a participatory discussion was conducted in Hariana in March 2026. The group consisted of 15 participants, consisting of both men and women of different ages. These people were highly knowledgeable of the area, and … Continue reading → …
Continue reading…
Land use and environmental change following land reform in Zimbabwe: a new blog series
Our study of Zimbabwe’s land reform after 25 years has been looking at land use and environmental change and the intersection with economic, social and political processes. Over the last year we have been analysing land use cover change data … Continue reading → …
Continue reading…
Women in leadership roles in land reform areas in Zimbabwe
Gender roles are not only changing within the household but within the wider community and in leadership positions in the ruling party, ZANU-PF. Many women in our sample across sites hold leadership positions in the church, the party or any … Continue reading → …
Continue reading…
Gendered patterns of leisure in land reform farms in Zimbabwe
How do people use their free time beyond the requirements of production and social reproduction on the farm? How does this contribute to well-being, social cohesion and the ability to live happily in land reform areas? These are questions not … Continue reading → …
Continue reading…
The labour of care in land reform areas in Zimbabwe
Care for children, the sick, infirm and dying is at the core of social reproductive labour, very often carried out by women. In our interviews in A1 land reform areas, women frequently emphasised the caring roles of children, sick relatives, … Continue reading → …
Continue reading…
Cultural changes around marriage, divorce and inheritance in Zimbabwe’s land reform farms
Through discussions with women across our land reform sites, the changing cultures of marriage, divorce, separation and the role of independent, single women were a subject of much commentary. With new marriage arrangements and timings, the classic old-style ‘conjugal bargain’ … Continue reading → …
Continue reading…
Changing gender roles on Zimbabwe’s land reform farms
Gender roles are changing. Women have greater independence and can manage their own land and finances. This has implications for how farms are run, who can accumulate and the relationship between production and social production labour. While there have been … Continue reading → …
Continue reading…
How accumulation after Zimbabwe’s land reform offered independence for women
Land is important for women’s economic independence, social power and the organisation of social reproduction. Gaining access to land in the fast-track land reform areas has been important for establishing women’s financial autonomy, easing time poverty, enabling the education of … Continue reading → …
Continue reading…
How gaining access to land opened up opportunities for women following land reform in Zimbabwe
Land reform enabled some women to claim land. Gaining access to land, our informants explained, offered independence and autonomy. In our discussions across the sites, the connection between land access and ‘freedom’ was repeated again and again. The land occupations … Continue reading → …
Continue reading…