Women and Participation in Civil Society: Do Women Get Empowered? The Case of Women in Goromonzi District in Zimbabwe

Using a case study of the Goromonzi District in Zimbabwe, this article explores whether women's participation in informal politics leads to the collective empowerment of women at the community level. Furthermore, the article seeks to investigate opportunities and constraints that exist for improving the position of women. Results show that due to unequal access to and control over resources, discriminatory attitudes and perceptions against women, and entrenched systems of political patronage, participating in informal local-level politics may empower individuals, but it does not empower women as a group. To be empowering, informal political organizations should pursue a transformatory political agenda that seeks to challenge social relations which perpetuate inequality between men and women. © 2013 Copyright Taylor and Francis Group, LLC.