Are We Not Beneficiaries Also? Portrayal of Gender and Land Reform in Davie Mutasa’s Sekai Minda Tave Nayo

Abstract

At independence Zimbabwe inherited a racially skewed land distribution pattern in favour of whites (Tshuma, 1997). The newly independent state embarked on a land reform programme which mainly focused on racial imbalances at the expense of gender imbalances (Moyo, 2006). Women were disadvantaged in both phases of the land reform programme. The reasons that have largely disadvantaged women stem from patriarchy, customary law and inheritance of colonial institutions and policies that continue to put women on the receiving end. Currently efforts are being made to ensure that women also enjoy the national cake. This paper explores the extent to which post independent Shona writers have become relevant by discussing the crucial aspects of the gendered perspective of the land question in Davie Mutasa‘s Sekai Minda Tave Nayo. The paper also questions if Shona fiction demonstrates the mismatch between the farmer in Africa, who is a woman and the failure to access crucial resources like land. It will also discuss the possible intervention strategies being proffered by Shona fiction in levelling the playing field between men and women in accessing and owning crucial resources like land. The study will be informed by the Gender and Development (GAD) approach in analysing the gendered perspective of the land reform programme in Zimbabwe. The paper therefore is an analysis of post independence Shona fiction‘s treatment of the gendered nature of post 1980 agrarian reforms in Zimbabwe.

Gender & Behaviour, 10(2), December 2012