Does Urban Agriculture help improve women`s resilience to poverty? Evidence from low- income generating women in Bulawayo
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2014
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Abstract
This article analyses how women have used Urban Agriculture (UA) as a resilience strategy to poverty in
Bulawayo`s high density suburb of Cowdray Park. Women, who are naturally the primary care givers tend to
suffer the most in urban areas as quite often they have to bear the responsibility of food provision at home. The
article focuses on how UA contributes to food security, employment, income and empowerment for women
engaged in the practice. The research for this article is largely qualitative and uses primary data collected from
30 respondents using questionnaires, 5 key informant interviews, 2 focus group discussions and observations.
Secondary data from government and non-governmental organisations documents was also used. The results
indicate that UA contributes significantly to food availability and access for women engaged in the practice.
However nutritional contribution is low and less diverse as farmers concentrate on growing maize than other
crops. Income generation is also very low as women concentrate on subsistence production. This article further
discusses the relative empowerment function of UA to women. It argues that despite problems encountered by
women farmers such as marginalization of UA as a land use activity, shortage of water and lack of institutional
support, UA still improved the socio- economic status and empowered urban women. The article therefore
recommends that local authorities set aside land specifically for UA and provide institutional support such as
sinking of boreholes and provision of inputs
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Sebata, N., Mabhena, C. and Sithole, M., 2014. Does Urban Agriculture help improve womens resilience to poverty? Evidence from low-income generating women in Bulawayo. IOSR Journal of Humanities and Social Science, 19(4), pp.128-136.