Gendered Patterns of Social Capital among Farmers in Guruve District of Zimbabwe

Abstract

It is common knowledge that social capital contributes to poverty reduction and development, especially in rural areas. Despite this fact, there has been little interest throughout the world regarding gender within the social capital debate. This study sought to establish the extent of differences in social capital endowments of women when compared to men in a rural farming community in Guruve District of Zimbabwe. Addressing this question could help unlock the potential benefits of social capital in addressing the problem of poverty from a gendered perspective. Based on the findings of both structured and unstructured interviews of 385 heads of household, it was found that women were significantly more likely to trust and engage in reciprocal arrangements with family members, friends, neighbours, formal institutions in their locality compared to men. This led to the conclusion that partnering with women could potentially lead to more successful implementation of projects in rural areas.

Keywords: Gender, social capital, poverty

Gender & Behaviour, 10(2), December 2012