Crisis, gender, and rurality: A Diversity of responses to economic turmoil in Zimbabwe

Using the concepts of resistance and survival, this study examines the diverse survival strategies adopted by women in Bubi Rural District, Zimbabwe, during the country's 'Decade in Crisis' (1999–2009). The study analyses how women navigated prolonged economic hardship. Qualitative research tools that include oral interviews, focus group discussions, participant observation, and primary and secondary docu­mentary analysis were triangulated in data collection. The ar­gument is that women were not passive victims of the crisis because they actively developed localised strategies to sustain their households and livelihoods. The findings highlight the diversity of women's experiences and show that women in Bubi were not a homogeneous group. Their responses were shaped by age, family responsibilities, health status, and socio-economic circumstances. Elderly women struggled with chronic illness and the care of orphaned grandchildren. Younger women prioritised maternal and child health while securing household income. These women adopted different coping strategies. Some relied on marriage as a social safety net. Others engaged in cross-border trading, informal eco­nomic activities, or transactional sex. They also drew on op­portunities created by government programmes, non-govern­mental organisations, and the private sector. Therefore, by focusing on the diversity of women lived experiences and survival strategies, this study challenges uniform representations of rural women during times of crisis. It demonstrates that women exercised agency in different ways and made sig­nificant contributions to household survival and community resilience