Women's Participation in Public Budgeting and Access to Loan and Credit Financing in Zimbabwe

This study examines the extent to which Zimbabwean women participate in public budgeting processes and access loan and credit financing. It is structured in two parts: Section A on women's participation in public budgeting, and Section B on women's access to loans and credit. The study areas are Gokwe North, a rural district in Midlands Province, and Tafara and Mabvuku, low-income urban wards in Harare. To mainstream vulnerability and inequality, the research deliberately included young and elderly women, women with disabilities, women in the informal sector and rural women.

The study is framed against Zimbabwe's commitments under CEDAW, focusing on Article 7 (political and public life), Article 13 (economic and social life) and Article 14 (rural women). Households were the sampling unit, with the sample calculated at a 5% margin of error and 95% confidence level, complemented by key informant interviews with parliamentarians, development workers, academia and financial sector actors.

• Only 11.2% of women respondents were aware of the national government budgeting process and cycle (33.1% overall awareness; 11.2% in rural Gokwe North against 21.8% in Tafara and Mabvuku).
• Only 6.9% were aware of the Budget Strategy Paper (BSP), and just 5.7% had accessed the 2024 BSP.
• 58.6% had never attended a budget consultation meeting; 41.4% had participated (11.2% rural against 30.2% urban).
• Only 14.8% were aware of budget performance reports; 85.2% were unaware.
• Only 20.3% were aware of audited financial reports, and 92.8% had never accessed one.
• 82.4% had observed no government effort to encourage women's participation in budget consultations.
• Only 6.6% consider the budget process inclusive of women's voices; 37.2% consider it not inclusive.
• Barriers to participation: lack of information (76.9%), socio-cultural norms and traditions (54.5%), family responsibilities (42.8%), transport problems (42.4%).
• Motivators for participation: desire to influence resource allocation (55.2%), concern for community development (52.1%), general interest in budget matters (36.9%).
• 1.7% of women had ever applied for a loan (16.2% in Gokwe North against 25.5% in Tafara and Mabvuku); 58.3% had never applied.
• Only 29.3% of loan applications were successful; 70.7% were unsuccessful.
• Loan sources: 35.0% public institutions and cooperative banks, 29.4% private institutions, 21.3% alternative or informal sources, 14.4% both public and private.
• 51.2% found the loan application process difficult or very difficult; only 16.8% found it easy or very easy.

• Make budget documents accessible in formats that encourage women's participation, especially in underserved regions.
• Mandate the inclusion of women in budget consultations so their perspectives and needs shape fiscal policy decisions.
• Use digital platforms and social media to inform and engage women, overcoming geographical barriers for rural women.
• Institutionalise gender-responsive budgeting so fiscal policies equitably address women's needs.
• Implement targeted financial literacy programmes, particularly for women in rural areas.
• Tailor financial products to women in the informal sector, with flexible terms addressing lack of collateral and fluctuating incomes.
• Reform law to strengthen women's property rights and lending practices, overcoming institutional bias.
• Promote public-private partnerships to expand access to financial services, entrepreneurial support and suitable financial products.
• Reform land policies to prioritise equitable land ownership rights so women can use land as collateral.
• Strengthen collaboration between government agencies, financial institutions, civil society and local communities.