Women without borders : transborder movements as a coping and investment strategy

Abstract

The article presents a descriptive account of the experiences of Zimbabwean informal transborder women traders. The article draws on a year-long in-depth study of a purposefully selected group of Zimbabwe cross-border women traders based in Harare, the capital city, and Chinhoyi a provincial capital in the north west of Zimbabwe, conducted in 2002. The focus of the article is on cross-border trade as a livelihood source, and on women's empowerment and entrepreneurship. Cross-border trade is a key coping and investment strategy that enabled many women in the study not only to cope but also to invest in a depressed economy.