A study on the welfare of elderly women in Chivi district in Masvingo, Zimbabwe

Abstract

The growing number of elderly people worldwide, including Africa, underscores the importance of policies pertaining to the welfare of this group. This study aims to deepen an understanding of the welfare of elderly women in Chivi District in Masvingo Province, Zimbabwe. The ageing process is influenced by multiple intersecting vectors hence the theoretical bases for this study are varied and Critical Feminist Gerontology [CFG] and the Life Course Perspective [LCP] are the guiding theories for this study. Both theories steered the interpretations of the experiences of elderly women as revealed through in-depth interviews conducted in Chivi communal areas. The in-depth interviews were the most suitable as the study had adopted a qualitative research paradigm and a case study design. In-depth interviews were conducted with four resource persons, that is, the District Administrator, Social Welfare Administrator and two Village Heads from the study areas. The main focus was on eighteen elderly women that were selected with the use of snowball sampling. The participants’ narratives exposed how gender hierarchies influenced their welfare through the interlocking dynamics such as gender, age, politics, social status, race, social location and social change that were experienced simultaneously by the participants throughout their life course. The study exposed that elderly women in Chivi District were ignorant of social welfare legislation inclusive of the ‘Older Persons’ Act’ of 2012. They were also invisible in society as they remained marginalised and not targeted in most social welfare programmes. Their plight was worsened by lack of vibrant family support systems that are assumed to be safety nets for the elderly. However, elderly women were not passive as they also made decisions in their households as some had become breadwinners. Therefore, the study recommends participation of the elderly women in policy formulation and implementation. It is with no doubt that elderly women need to be socially, economically and politically empowered for them to retain their dignity in society. The state has the power and authority for resource allocation therefore it is recommended that they create robust and sustainable social welfare policies, legislation and fund programmes that target the elderly especially women.