User vulnerability challenges of informal transport in Zimbabwe: a gender perspective

While informal transport offers critical access to mobility, this study aims to understand the overlooked gendered vulnerabilities experienced by women in small towns. This study explores Mushikashika (informal transport) in Zimbabwe, using Chipinge town as the study area. Data were collected through 37 in-depth interviews with women commuters and analysed using thematic analysis. Key findings reveal that women face challenges related to safety, including harassment from touts and uncomfortable seating arrangements. The lack of regulation of informal transport further exacerbates the risks faced by women. The study advocates policy interventions that recognize the embedded nature of small-town economies while addressing their structural risks. Transport regulations that support informal operators could improve safety and service reliability, which would ensure both economic inclusion and commuter protection. This study contributes to gender-sensitive transport policy reforms and extends existing research beyond metropolitan cities by showing how informal transport systems are experienced and function in small towns.