Forest Products, Livelihoods and Conservation

Wavell Standa-Gunda and Oliver Braedt 189

Who is involved in the production and trading of woodcarvings?

Prior to 1980 women dominated craft production along the Masvingo–Beitbridge

road, largely selling pottery. However, men, who focus mainly on stone and

woodcrafts, currently dominate the craft sector (57% of market participants).

Half of the women participants (total = 43%) are confined to markets where

pottery and crochet products are being produced and sold (Table 1). When

involved in carvings and sculptures, women restrict themselves to the final

stages of production, the finishing of the product with sandpaper and polish,

and the selling of the product. There is not a single female carver on the

Masvingo–Beitbridge road, although many carvings end up with women who

sell finished products. The men control most of the processes of craft

production. The low levels of participation by females are made more apparent

by the lack of involvement by young women in the craft sector. While craft

production in colonial and precolonial times used to be the preserve of mature

members, young males are now dominant in the market.

Activity No. of Distribution by age grouping (%)

participants in each activity group

<25 years 26–49 years >50 years

Carving Males 390 (11%) 6% 4% 1%

Selling Males 1,696 (46%)

46% 33% 10%

Females* 1,549 (43%)

Total 3,635 (100%) 52% 37% 11%

Table 1. Market participants along the Masvingo–Beitbridge road by activity,

gender and age in 1997

*The 583 female participants (38%) primarily concentrate on non-woodcarving activities such

as pottery and crochet knitting, but occasionally do sell woodcarvings (main road survey).

The distance between homestead and the nearest market also influences

participation in a market. As the distance increases it is especially the number

of participating women that declines. Women are willing to travel around 2.0

km to 2.5 km to a market, whereas men move across districts and provinces.

Men from as far as Birchenough Bridge (150 km), Harare (350 km), Bulawayo

(300 km) and Bindura (400 km) take part in the trading of carvings on the

Masvingo–Beitbridge road, though there are more local people than outsiders at

each market. Household duties of women restrict their movement.

Carvers differentiate themselves into three broad categories. ‘Artists’, said

to constitute 15% of the total number of carvers, are people renowned for the

high quality their work. They have generally been in the business since long

before the recent upsurge in craft activity. The next category, ‘carvers’, constitute

about 30% of the total. Carvers are said to also produce good quality products,

but were forced by economic circumstances to join the craft sector. The last

category, ‘part-time carvers’, have also been forced into the sector by the need

to raise cash. Their products are said to be substandard. This group usually

includes farmers who want to supplement their agricultural incomes and

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