On August 7, 2025, the Vendors Initiative for Social and Economic Transformation (VISET) successfully convened a stakeholders meeting in Gweru to launch the Informal Economy Action for Care and Climate Change Initiative (IEACCCI) targeting Gweru and Chiwundura communities. The initiative aims to empower caregivers in Zimbabwe’s informal economy, predominantly women, by addressing the intersection of climate change and unpaid care work. The project will establish Care and Climate Resilience Hubs, offering services like childcare, health support, and climate-adaptive training, to reduce the care burden on women. The Care and Climate Resilience Hubs are designed as transformative community spaces that simultaneously address unpaid care work and climate vulnerability two intersecting challenges that disproportionately affect women in the informal economy.
The Gweru and Chiwundura meeting brought together diverse participants, including informal traders, civic society organizations, local authorities, government departments and residents associations, fostering a collaborative environment focused on addressing the intertwined challenges of economic vulnerability, climate change, and gender inequality within the informal economy. The event facilitated a fruitful discussion on the pressing issues faced by informal traders, particularly women, who are disproportionately affected by the demands of unpaid care work and the impacts of extreme weather events.
Key outcomes from the meeting included a shared understanding of the IEACCCI’s mission among stakeholders, consensus on priority interventions, and tangible commitments from various partners, including local government and civic organizations. Participants recognized the urgent need for a coordinated response to the challenges facing informal traders, leading to the establishment of a Working Group dedicated to driving the initiative’s implementation. The agreement to set up the Chiwundura and Gweru Care and Climate Resilient Hub was particularly well-received, emphasizing the need for a centralized approach to tackling these socio-economic issues and promoting sustainable livelihoods.
Overall, the reception of the project was overwhelmingly positive, with participants expressing optimism about the potential for collaborative efforts to create lasting change in Chiwundura and Gweru. The stakeholders acknowledged the initiative as a vital step towards enhancing the resilience of informal traders against climate shocks and ultimately unlocking the economic potential of women engaged in the informal economy. The commitment shown during the meeting signals a promising path forward in advocating for inclusive policies that recognize and support the contributions of informal workers.
