By Staff Writer
THE Economic Justice for Women’s Project (EJWP) says the forthcoming National Formalization Strategy must cater for the needs of young women if meaningful empowerment is to be attained.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) ranks Zimbabwe as the world’s second largest informalised economy with an estimated two thirds of the population supporting their livelihoods through the sector’s jobs.
Official Data confirms that there are more women than men in the country’s informal sector working under precarious operating conditions exposing them to serious labor deficits.
To circumvent the associated problems, Zimbabwe has commences the journey to craft a formalization strategy which will reverse the challenges associated with high informality.
A recently commissioned EJWP study titled, “THE NEXUS BETWEEN FISCAL JUSTICE AND GENDER JUSTICE IN ZIMBABWE: The case of young women in the informal Economy” has urged authorities to factor in the plight of young women in the strategy.
“The National Formalization Strategy that is underway needs to consider the needs of young girls and women such that the strategy enables inclusive formalization.
“Young women in the informal sector need to come together and form organized associations that represent their needs and communicate with the government and they also need to seek knowledge and understand their rights for them to demand accountability of national resource allocations from leadership that will be responsible,” the report said.
The study also urges government to invest more in infrastructure development of stalls for vending activities and notes that the reason why the young street vendors sell on undesignated places is that some of the stalls are full and in some instances the stalls built will not be located around their target market.
“There is need for the review of, fiscal policies and monetary policies to take a more feminine approach in development and application.
“Other reviews need to be done for harmful tax incentives, exemptions and subsidies, especially those provided to multinational corporations that reduce the revenue needed by the state to support the social infrastructure,” the report said.
The study also evidenced the lack of social security in the informal economy. It thereby recommends the extension of social protection to cover young women-specific needs in the informal economy.
Governments need to strengthen/broaden the mandate and resources of tax authorities and prevent rotating doors between private and public sectors which lead to corruption.
