This was revealed at the virtual launch of the informal
women’s hub hosted by Vendors Initiative for Social and Economic Transformation
(Viset) on Friday.
The women also bemoaned sexual exploitation by land barons
when they want to access vending stalls they control.
The women’s hub seeks to develop an inclusive gender policy
for the informal economy, which will include eradication of gender-based
violence and corruption in the informal economy.
Representatives of several civic society organisations
(CSOs), who attended the meeting, said although women constituted the majority
of the informal traders, they were exposed to various forms of corruption more
than men, which hindered their success.
The CSOs’ representatives said sexual exploitation was the
most common form of abuse which was being faced by female vendors in their
day-to-day dealing with law enforcement agents.
Economic Justice for Women Project executive director
Margaret Mutsamvi said the COVID-19 pandemic had worsened economic problems,
resulting in more people resorting to informal trading.
She said State security agents were the major perpetrators
of injustices and corruption in the informal sector.
“There is increased use of force and brutality by the State
security officers towards traders in the informal sector as they regulate their
operations,” Mutsamvi said.
“They use batons to beat vendors. They arrest vendors
without clear charges and sometimes demand sex and bribes or even take away
their wares without payment. Female vendors are also raped during the time they
will be conducting their businesses. Apart from the city council and State
security agents, customers also tend to take advantage of women by negotiating
lower prices for their products,” she said.
Zimbabwe Coalition on Debt and Development executive
director Janet Zhou said women wanted to access equal opportunities with men,
resulting in them being exposed to exploitation.
“Women suffer the greatest forms of corruption in the
informal sector and this includes sexual exploitation,” Zhou said.
“The informal sector in Zimbabwe is heavily criminalised,
hence women encounter law enforcement agents in the day-to-day running of their
business. Most of the time, women in the informal sector are either forced or
they offer sex voluntarily to space barons so as to survive under the
circumstances they find themselves in while working in the informal sector. The
laws against informal trading are archaic. They are not gender sensitive,” she
added.
Viset deputy chairperson Rosemary Mudzamiri urged
government to provide a safe working environment for women on the informal
market. Newsday
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