The right of women to hold and use land in Zimbabwe continues to be inequitable in all land tenure regimes, despite the major strides taken in promoting more equitable land redistribution and progressive constitutional reforms. The rights to land available to women in communal and resettlement areas (A1 and older resettlement lands) are limited in scope and most insecure, while their access to land in commercial farming areas, including leasehold properties and remaining large-scale commercial farms (LSCFs), are limited by market-related resource constraints.

This booklet presents the challenges being faced by some women – especially those in polygamous unions, divorcees, widows and single women – regarding their access to and control of land resources. It documents the stories as told by the women themselves in the districts of Goromonzi, Hwedza and Zvimba. The purpose is to amplify the voices of grassroots rural women in the struggle for just and equitable access to land and resources. The case stories are intended to build awareness of the lived experiences of rural women with a view to influencing policy change and aligning policy more closely with practice.