THE IMPACTS OF URBAN ABSOLUTE POVERTY ON YOUNG WOMEN:
A CASE STUDY OF EPWORTH
BY
MASARA WIRIRANAI. B.
(R121680Y)

FACULTY OF SOCIAL STUDIES

DEPARTMENT OF SOCIOLOGY 2015

A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF BACHELOR OF
SCIENCE HONOURS DEGREE IN SOCIOLOGY

(SUPERVISOR

Ms CHOGUYA)

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Dedication
I dedicate this research work to my late mother. You influenced every aspect of carrying out this study. It’s sad though that you are not around to witness who I have become. You may be gone but you are never over!

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ACRONYMS
ADB

Asian Development Bank

CSO

Central Statistics Office

DESA

Department of Economic and Social Affairs Statistics Division

ESAP

Economic Structural Adjustment Programme

FPL

Food Poverty Line

HDL

Human Development Index

MPSLSW

Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare

NGO

Non-Governmental Organizations

PASS

Poverty Assessment Study Survey

PDL

Poverty Datum Line

PICES

Poverty and Income Expenditures Survey

PRD

Parliament Research Department

PRFT

Poverty Reduction Forum Trust

TCPL

Total Consumption Poverty Line

UNDP

United Nations Development Programme

UNICEF

United Nations Children’s Fund

UNESASD

United Nations Economic and Social Affairs Statistic Department

UN-Habitat

United Nations Human Settlement Programme

USA

United States of America

Zimstat

Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency

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Abstract
The study focused on identifying, measuring and assessing the nature and extent of impacts of urban absolute poverty on young women in Epworth. This was made possible through documenting the meaning of poverty. To achieve its objectives, the study used interviews and questionnaires as research instruments in relation to the triangulation of qualitative and quantitative research methods respectively in this research. The Structural School of Thought and the Capability Approach were triangulated