THE National Social Security Authority (NSSA) is finalising a maternity protection scheme designed to provide income support and social security cover for women, particularly those in the informal sector who currently have no formal protection during pregnancy and childbirth.
The initiative, which is at an advanced stage of approval, is expected to plug a long-standing gap in Zimbabwe’s social protection system where thousands of self-employed women lose income during maternity periods due to lack of structured benefits.
NSSA general manager Dr Charles Shava said the scheme is part of wider reforms aimed at expanding coverage to previously excluded groups, with special focus on women working outside formal employment.
“The maternity scheme is at the active stage of being motivated for approval by our principals before we run with it,” said Dr Shava.
He said the proposal forms part of a broader strategy to build a more inclusive and responsive social security system that reflects changing labour patterns, particularly the rise of informal employment.
Women make up a significant proportion of Zimbabwe’s informal economy, working as vendors, cross-border traders, small-scale farmers and home-based entrepreneurs, yet most operate without maternity leave, maternity income support or health-related financial cushioning beyond basic healthcare access.
Under the envisaged scheme, NSSA says it is working on designing a flexible contribution and benefit structure that accommodates irregular incomes typical of informal work.
Dr Shava said the authority is currently conducting research, stakeholder consultations and actuarial modelling to ensure the scheme is both accessible and financially sustainable.
“The envisaged reforms seek to provide accessible and flexible social security solutions that cater for workers in the informal economy such as self-employed individuals, small-scale traders, cross-border traders and other previously excluded groups,” he said.
The maternity protection scheme is expected to provide income replacement support during pregnancy and postnatal recovery, helping reduce the economic pressure faced by women who often return to work prematurely due to financial constraints.
Social protection experts say maternity insecurity remains one of the biggest vulnerabilities facing women in the informal economy, where absence from work directly translates into loss of income.
The proposed intervention is also expected to contribute to improved maternal health outcomes by reducing the need for pregnant women to continue working under physically demanding conditions late into pregnancy.
The maternity scheme, Dr Shava said, is being developed alongside the broader informal sector social security framework that targets more than three million workers currently outside pension systems.
The authority says the reforms are part of efforts to modernise Zimbabwe’s social security architecture and align it with inclusive development goals under Vision 2030.
Dr Shava said NSSA’s long-term vision is to ensure that all workers, regardless of sector or income level, have access to meaningful social protection that promotes dignity and security throughout life.
“The Authority envisions a future where all workers regardless of sector or income level have access to meaningful social protection that promotes dignity, security and social inclusion,” he said.
He said the authority is also pursuing digital transformation initiatives to improve access to services and simplify registration and claims processes for informal workers.
NSSA say the maternity scheme, once approved, will be implemented as part of a broader package of reforms aimed at strengthening social protection for vulnerable groups, particularly women who remain outside formal employment structures.-herald
