THE EFFICACY OF COOPERATIVES AS AN ANTECEDENT FOR WOMEN’S ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT IN BULAWAYO METROPOLITAN PROVINCE IN ZIMBABWE

Abstract

The genesis of this inquiry was rooted in a synthesis of academic inquiry and professional observations of round-robin savings clubs within the post-industrial landscape of the Bulawayo Metropolitan Province. This study argues that while formal structures are often viewed as modern interventions, cooperatives are a modernized evolution of the indigenous tradition of Amalima, a community practice designed to promote household and communal resilience through collective labor. The research aimed to explore motivating factors for establishing cooperatives as empowerment antecedents and to analyze the efficacy of these models in facilitating socio-economic agency for women navigating the 2024 transition to the ZiG currency and systemic liquidity hunger. Theoretically anchored in Social Capital Theory and guided by the Amalima Empowerment Sequence conceptual framework, the inquiry utilized a qualitative, interpretivist case study design with a purposive sample of fifteen information-rich participants. Key study findings reveal that the hyperinflationary legacy acted as the principal socio-economic catalyst for group formation, and the technical internalization of the value chain significantly mitigated indirect costs. However, a persistent Socio-Institutional Network Misalignment (Perception Efficacy Gap) and a Democratic Deficit hindered strategic female leadership due to entrenched patriarchal gatekeeping. Based on these findings, the study recommends that the Government of Zimbabwe and the Treasury recognize Group Assets as valid loan collateral and utilize influence pathways like the Tripartite Negotiation Forum (TNF) to ensure the inclusion of women-led cooperatives in national procurement.