Sowing Seeds of Change : Feminist collective action for agroecological transformation in Zimbabwe
(2025)- Abstract
- This thesis examines how women in agricultural communities in Zimbabwe leverage collective action to advance agroecological transformation while challenging systemic gender inequities. It responds to the persistent marginalization of women in Zimbabwean agriculture by investigating how collective action reclaims agency and reshapes agroecological systems. Despite constituting at least 70 % of the agricultural workforce in Zimbabwe, women face marginalization through unequal land access, exclusion from strategic decision-making, and devaluation of their indigenous knowledge. Grounded in Feminist Political Ecology (FPE) and Collective Action Theory (CAT), the study builds on qualitative document analysis and recurring fieldwork (2022–2025)... (More)
- This thesis examines how women in agricultural communities in Zimbabwe leverage collective action to advance agroecological transformation while challenging systemic gender inequities. It responds to the persistent marginalization of women in Zimbabwean agriculture by investigating how collective action reclaims agency and reshapes agroecological systems. Despite constituting at least 70 % of the agricultural workforce in Zimbabwe, women face marginalization through unequal land access, exclusion from strategic decision-making, and devaluation of their indigenous knowledge. Grounded in Feminist Political Ecology (FPE) and Collective Action Theory (CAT), the study builds on qualitative document analysis and recurring fieldwork (2022–2025) in Zimbabwe’s semi-arid regions, using interviews, focus groups, and participant observation.
Findings reveal that women’s collectives within farmer organizations, community seed banks, and seed fairs, serve as crucial platforms for resisting gender-based exclusion and fostering innovation. These collective actions enable women farmers to reassert control over local seed systems, enhance agrobiodiversity, improve climate adaptation strategies, and reinforce their agency and community resilience. Such grassroots initiatives reconfigure power dynamics by redistributing resources, promoting equitable knowledge exchange, and redefining women’s roles and leadership in agriculture. Nevertheless, the research reveals inherent contradictions when transformative actions occasionally reproduce inequities while dismantling others. The study makes three key contributions: empirically I demonstrate how women’s collective action links
agroecology with gender equity, theoretically I advance FPE by centering Southern African women’s experiences, and as regards policy, I offer recommendations to integrate ecological resilience with gender justice. By foregrounding Zimbabwean women’s leadership, I argue that agroecology – rooted in collective organizing – is a powerful strategy for achieving systemic change towards ecological balance and gender justice. These generated insights hold global relevance by demonstrating effective, context-specific models of collective action that can inform broader strategies to support marginalized groups worldwide. Findings also provide valuable guidance for scholars analyzing gender dynamics in agriculture, policymakers aiming to develop inclusive agricultural policies, and social movements striving to build resilient, equitable, and sustainable food systems in widespread smallholder farming. (Less) - Abstract (Swedish)
- Avhandlingen undersöker hur kvinnor i Zimbabwes jordbrukssektor tillämpar kollektivt handlande för att främja agroekologisk omvandling och utmana könsrelaterade ojämlikheter. Trots att kvinnor utgör minst 70% av arbetskraften i Zimbabwes jordbrukssektor, marginaliseras de genom ojämlik tillgång till mark, utestängning från strategiska beslut och devalvering av beprövad erfarenhet. Studien bygger på kvalitativ dokumentanalys och återkommande fältarbete (2022–2025) med intervjuer, fokusgrupper och deltagande observation och tillämpar feministisk politisk ekologi (FPE) och kollektiv handlingsteori (CAT) i
materialanalysen.Resultaten visar att kvinnokollektiv inom jordbruksorganisationer, lokala fröbanker och frömässor utgör viktiga... (More) - Avhandlingen undersöker hur kvinnor i Zimbabwes jordbrukssektor tillämpar kollektivt handlande för att främja agroekologisk omvandling och utmana könsrelaterade ojämlikheter. Trots att kvinnor utgör minst 70% av arbetskraften i Zimbabwes jordbrukssektor, marginaliseras de genom ojämlik tillgång till mark, utestängning från strategiska beslut och devalvering av beprövad erfarenhet. Studien bygger på kvalitativ dokumentanalys och återkommande fältarbete (2022–2025) med intervjuer, fokusgrupper och deltagande observation och tillämpar feministisk politisk ekologi (FPE) och kollektiv handlingsteori (CAT) i
materialanalysen.Resultaten visar att kvinnokollektiv inom jordbruksorganisationer, lokala fröbanker och frömässor utgör viktiga plattformar för att både främja innovation och motverka könsbaserad utestängning. Dessa kollektiva åtgärder möjliggör för kvinnliga jordbrukare att återta kontrollen över lokala frösystem, öka jordbrukets biologiska mångfald, förbättra strategier för klimatanpassning, och stärka både egen agens och samhällets motståndskraft. Som gräsrotsinitiativ bidrager dessa handlingar till att omforma maktförhållanden genom att omfördela resurser, främja rättvist kunskapsutbyte och omdefiniera kvinnors position och ledarskap inom jordbruket. Forskningen visar dock på kritiska inneboende motsättningar såsom att djupgående omvandling undanröjer vissa former av ojämlikhet samtidigt som den riskerar att skapa eller återskapa andra former av ojämlikhet. Studien ger tre viktiga bidrag: empiriskt visar författaren hur kvinnors kollektiva
åtgärder i denna studie integrerar agroekologi med jämställdhet, hur FPE kan vidareutvecklas genom studiet av kvinnors erfarenheter i det afrikanska
jordbrukssamhället, och att ekologisk motståndskraft bör kopplas till jämställdhet som policyrekommendation. Genom att lyfta fram zimbabwiska kvinnors ledarskap argumenterar författaren för att agroekologi – med rötter i kollektiv organisering – är en kraftfull strategi för att uppnå systemförändringar för hållbara livsmedelssystem och jämställdhet. Dessa insikter har global relevans genom att de påvisar effektiva, kontextspecifika modeller för kollektiva åtgärder som kan ligga till grund för bredare strategier för att stödja marginaliserade grupper över hela världen. Resultaten ger också värdefull vägledning för tre olika typer av aktörer:
forskare som analyserar könsdynamiken inom jordbruket, beslutsfattare som strävar efter att utveckla inkluderande jordbrukspolitik, och sociala rörelser som strävar efter att bygga upp motståndskraftiga, rättvisa och hållbara livsmedelssystem inom småskaligt jordbruk. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/1785ea61-1789-4f6e-bb79-2322757f29b6
- author
- Sibanda, Michaelin LU
- supervisor
-
- Anne Jerneck LU
- Ellinor Isgren LU
- opponent
-
- Senior Researcher Clement, Florian, French National Institute for Agriculture, Food, and Environment (INRAE)
- organization
- publishing date
- 2025-09
- type
- Thesis
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- Agroecology, Collective action, Feminist Political Ecology, Gender justice, Inclusive Food Systems, Seed sovereignty, Women’s Agency
- pages
- 127 pages
- publisher
- Lund University
- defense location
- Ostrom, Josephson, LUCSUS, Biskopsgatan 5, Lund
- defense date
- 2025-10-24 10:00:00
- ISBN
- 978-91-8104-617-5
- 978-91-8104-616-8
- project
- Mobilizing farmer organisations for sustainable agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 1785ea61-1789-4f6e-bb79-2322757f29b6
- date added to LUP
- 2025-09-29 11:24:11
- date last changed
- 2025-10-01 09:41:18
@phdthesis{1785ea61-1789-4f6e-bb79-2322757f29b6,
abstract = {{This thesis examines how women in agricultural communities in Zimbabwe leverage collective action to advance agroecological transformation while challenging systemic gender inequities. It responds to the persistent marginalization of women in Zimbabwean agriculture by investigating how collective action reclaims agency and reshapes agroecological systems. Despite constituting at least 70 % of the agricultural workforce in Zimbabwe, women face marginalization through unequal land access, exclusion from strategic decision-making, and devaluation of their indigenous knowledge. Grounded in Feminist Political Ecology (FPE) and Collective Action Theory (CAT), the study builds on qualitative document analysis and recurring fieldwork (2022–2025) in Zimbabwe’s semi-arid regions, using interviews, focus groups, and participant observation.<br/>Findings reveal that women’s collectives within farmer organizations, community seed banks, and seed fairs, serve as crucial platforms for resisting gender-based exclusion and fostering innovation. These collective actions enable women farmers to reassert control over local seed systems, enhance agrobiodiversity, improve climate adaptation strategies, and reinforce their agency and community resilience. Such grassroots initiatives reconfigure power dynamics by redistributing resources, promoting equitable knowledge exchange, and redefining women’s roles and leadership in agriculture. Nevertheless, the research reveals inherent contradictions when transformative actions occasionally reproduce inequities while dismantling others. The study makes three key contributions: empirically I demonstrate how women’s collective action links<br/>agroecology with gender equity, theoretically I advance FPE by centering Southern African women’s experiences, and as regards policy, I offer recommendations to integrate ecological resilience with gender justice. By foregrounding Zimbabwean women’s leadership, I argue that agroecology – rooted in collective organizing – is a powerful strategy for achieving systemic change towards ecological balance and gender justice. These generated insights hold global relevance by demonstrating effective, context-specific models of collective action that can inform broader strategies to support marginalized groups worldwide. Findings also provide valuable guidance for scholars analyzing gender dynamics in agriculture, policymakers aiming to develop inclusive agricultural policies, and social movements striving to build resilient, equitable, and sustainable food systems in widespread smallholder farming.}},
author = {{Sibanda, Michaelin}},
isbn = {{978-91-8104-617-5}},
keywords = {{Agroecology; Collective action; Feminist Political Ecology; Gender justice; Inclusive Food Systems; Seed sovereignty; Women’s Agency}},
language = {{eng}},
publisher = {{Lund University}},
school = {{Lund University}},
title = {{Sowing Seeds of Change : Feminist collective action for agroecological transformation in Zimbabwe}},
url = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/228660587/Michaelin_Sibanda_Dissertation.pdf}},
year = {{2025}},
}