Reverend Dr. Simbarashe Munamati is a theologian, academic, and community development researcher from Zimbabwe. He holds a PhD in Arts and Humanities with a focus on Religion, Gender and Development, with research examining women as agents of community development. He serves as Faculty Dean at Reformed Church University, Principal of Murray Theological College, and lecturer in theology and religious studies. His research and publications focus on gender, religion, women’s leadership, community development, health, and social inclusion in Africa.

Women as agents of Community Development: A case study of the Reformed Church in Zimbabwe (RCZ) in Masvingo Province, Zimbabwe                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       Abstract: The impetus of the study was to probe the extent and impact of the contribution of women in the Reformed Church in Zimbabwe (RCZ) towards Community Development (CD) in Masvingo Province. The fabric and accessories initiative which is run by the RCZ National Women’s League and the RCZ Nyajena Secondary School project initiated by the RCZ women in Nyajena Congregation for the period 2000-2015 were used to gain insights into how the RCZ women conceptualised CD. The two identified projects were pivotal in determining the role and efficiency of the RCZ women as CD agents, the challenges RCZ women encountered in engaging in CD projects, a theology of development they generated through their engagement in CD projects as well as proffering remedies the RCZ women can implement to become effective CD vehicles in Masvingo Province. The study adopted a qualitative research path and a case study research fashion to probe the efficacy of the RCZ women as CD agents in Masvingo Province. Using in-depth interviews, questionnaires, two focus group discussions and document analysis of the RCZ women’s fabric and accessories project minutes and RCZ Nyajena Secondary School Development Committee minutes over a period of one year, the study draws on feminist liberation theologies as a lens to understand the extent and impact of the contributions of women in the Reformed Church in Zimbabwe (RCZ) towards CD in Masvingo Province. The study established that RCZ women conceptualised women-initiated CD through groups of women teaming up to transform their communities. The study found that the RCZ women’s understanding of women-initiated CD was shaped by their participation experiences. Results show that RCZ women play five critical roles in the women-initiated CD agenda which are: the provision of community-based instructional leadership to fellow women, development of women-oriented CD leadership, delivery of CD hubs for women to participate in deep CD projects structural analysis, enactment of roles through inducting new members, capacity building, and stirring community development-oriented communities where women learn together. The RCZ women have proved to be effective CD agents in Masvingo Province as evidenced by their engagement in various CD projects based on analysis, funding, supervision and evaluation. In addition, they successfully merged the two traditional CD approaches, the Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) and the Needs-Based Community Development (NBCD) in their projects. The RCZ women generated a new and unique theology of development which is: local, people-centred, contextual and transformational, character oriented and hand-based, diversified and inclusive. The study unpacked multiple challenges RCZ women faced in their CD drive such as inadequate funding, poor communication, discrimination and prejudice, equality and diversity issues, leadership and representation issues, lack of accountability, infrequent meetings, inconsistent supervision and evaluation. The study recommends that the RCZ church craft a robust CD policy premised on capacitating all church and would-be community development projects members.