Dreams Deferred: How Poverty and Norms Hold Back Zimbabwe’s Girls and Young Women

The World Bank’s East Africa Girls’ Empowerment and Resilience (EAGER) Evidence Hub, supported by the Global Financing Facility, the Umbrella Facility for Gender Equality, and the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad), has released a striking report on the lives of girls and young women in Zimbabwe. Conducted through extensive surveys in ten districts, and led by Abhilasha Sahay, Sara Troiano, and Sreelakshmi Papineni, the study provides an in-depth exploration of girls’ aspirations, the cultural norms that shape them, and the family and community figures who influence their choices. It captures both the soaring ambitions of girls aged 15 to 35 and the crushing realities that hold them back.

Dreams That Outpace Reality

The report reveals that Zimbabwean girls are not short on ambition. Nearly 80 percent of those surveyed said they aspire to higher education, and almost half dream of completing a university degree. Yet only 4 percent actually reach tertiary education, a sobering reminder of the gulf between desire and possibility. In the job market, the pattern repeats itself. About a quarter of the sample aspires to work in production and manufacturing, a sector associated with stability and higher wages, but four out of five fail to secure employment in this field. Instead, many end up in retail or hospitality, where opportunities are more accessible but wages are lower. Above all, lack of money emerges as the greatest obstacle: more than 80 percent cited financial constraints as the main reason they could not pursue education or career goals.

Early Marriage and Lost Education

The testimonies collected highlight how family responsibilities collide with ambition. While girls identified 25 as the ideal age for marriage and motherhood, communities often expected them to marry at 16, and the average age of first pregnancy was just 19. The consequences are stark: girls who marry or bear children as teenagers are significantly less likely to remain in school or complete secondary education. One young woman explained that she had to abandon her studies after her parents died, eventually becoming a mother in her teenage years. Another spoke of the impossibility of continuing education once children arrived, leaving her to rely on selling fruits and vegetables for survival. Such stories underline the heavy toll of early family formation on long-term opportunities.

The Grip of Social Norms

Cultural attitudes add another layer of constraint. More than 90 percent of respondents expressed the belief that girls should continue their education after marriage, but in practice, married girls without children were 52 percent less likely to be in school than their unmarried peers. Eight in ten respondents still agreed that boys’ education should be prioritized when resources are scarce, and nearly 40 percent said women should avoid careers in male-dominated sectors such as engineering, finance, or mining. About half felt that household care should be a woman’s primary responsibility, and men should have the final say in family decisions. Alarmingly, one in five believed women should tolerate violence to preserve family unity. These regressive attitudes are more pronounced in rural areas, where poverty and tradition intersect to narrow women’s choices even further.

Yet there is a twist: girls often underestimate how supportive their communities actually are. While only 16 percent of community champions endorsed prioritizing boys’ education, girls themselves thought nearly 40 percent held this view. Similarly, communities were far more open to women entering male-dominated jobs than girls believed. This suggests that the fear of judgment looms larger than judgment itself, suppressing ambitions that might otherwise be attainable.

Family as Ally and Gatekeeper

The survey highlights the powerful role of family in shaping women’s paths. For unmarried girls, mothers are the strongest champions, particularly when it comes to education and employment. However, mothers can also discourage the use of contraception, revealing their dual role as both supporters and gatekeepers. Once married, husbands become the most influential figures, often restricting access to jobs or training while simultaneously supporting choices around contraception. Friends and neighbors also matter, though usually in less central ways. Interestingly, teachers, community leaders, and local officials are rarely seen as decisive influences, suggesting that empowerment initiatives must engage directly with families to succeed.

Breaking Barriers, Unlocking Futures

Despite the obstacles, the report identifies bright spots. Girls with egalitarian attitudes and higher self-confidence set loftier goals. Those whose mothers worked during their childhood reported 26 percent higher educational aspirations. The authors recommend policies that combine financial support with broader empowerment, such as cash-plus programs that add training and mentorship to direct aid, role-model initiatives that expose girls to women succeeding in high-value careers, and safe-space programs that help girls re-enter school. Correcting misperceptions of community norms could also unleash ambition, as could engaging men, boys, and community leaders in challenging harmful traditions.

The stakes extend far beyond individual girls. One in three Zimbabwean girls is married before 18, only nine percent finish upper secondary school, and women earn just two-thirds of what men do. Yet closing the gender gap could raise GDP per capita by 12 percent. The government has taken steps, embedding gender equality in its constitution, issuing annual gender budget statements, and allowing pregnant adolescents back into school, but implementation gaps, underfunded programs, and rural neglect mean progress remains uneven.

The report captures both hope and frustration. Zimbabwean girls and young women dream of education, jobs, and lives free of constraint, but those dreams are too often crushed by poverty, early marriage, and social expectations. With stronger policies, community engagement, and support systems, dreams can indeed become realities. Without them, girls will keep dreaming, while the country loses out on the potential of half its population.