Jatropha Production and Women’s Empower-ment

Biofuel production has been gaining increased significance in most developing countries including Zimbabwe over the last five years. They are now seen as an alternative to fossil fuels. In Zimbabwe the production of Jatropha for bio-diesel has been on the rise since 2005. This paper examines whether Jatropha production in Mutoko district’s Chindenga Village empowered women who were involved in the project. Women’s empowerment was not one of the ob-jectives of the project but it is noted that women were the ones who were working on the project and also they are more attracted to the by-products from Jatropha. However, there is no comprehensive policy which seeks to work with women and to empower them. In looking at whether women were empowered, the paper used Kabeer (2001)’s three dimensions of empowerment and also reviewed literature on empowerment. Findings from the study show some notable changes in the lives of the women who were involved in the projects. The study also reviewed that the project impacted on women in this community differently. The issue of power relations amongst the women in this community made a great differ-ence in terms of the impact of the project on the lives of the women. There were some women who were more empowered than the others and some who disempowered others. The political and economic situation prevailing during the implementation of the project was also found to have contributed to the abrupt ending of the project.