Poverty in Rural Southern Africa Through the Human Security Lens: The Zimbabwe Case Study.

• In Event: Multiple Dimensions of Human Security

Abstract

In 2018, UN DESA reported that 45% of the global population resides in rural areas. By 2050, 32% of the global population will reside in rural areas. Rural areas are more vulnerable to extreme poverty –one of the world’s biggest problems. Poverty exacerbates and is exacerbated by other critical global problems like environmental degradation, conflict, diseases, international crime, trafficking, and terrorism (MPI, 2023). It affects individuals, families, societies, and states because it is both an individual and structural issue, with implications that are far-reaching and uncontained by national borders. Poverty has been on the agenda of national governments, international organizations through multilateralism, and foreign governments through bilateral arrangements. The approach ranges from research to policy and action. Because poverty is a multidimensional issue, this study takes a multidisciplinary approach: Sociology’s conceptualization of poverty as a structural issue (Cotter, 2002; Calnitsky, 2018), Global Governance’s conceptualization of poverty as a human insecurity (HDR, 1994), and the role international systemic aid in alleviating poverty in rural Zimbabwe. I use a structural approach to redirect questions to structures (institutions and infrastructure) rather than individual capabilities and conditions. Using data from the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency, I assess the existence of healthcare centers and educational facilities in and between villages. Ultimately, this study seeks to shed light on the factors shaping the experiences of people living in poverty and contribute to academic knowledge of the overall experiences of rural communities and the implications of single-dimensional approaches to poverty for rural communities.

Author

• Lilian Sibanda, Global Governance and Human Security PhD Student- University of Massachusetts Boston