Zimbabwe entered structural adjustment in 1990 as one of the strongest and most diversified economies in Sub-Saharan Africa, and with high expectations of further growth. The latter failed to materialise. While a major role in this was played by the devastating drought of 1991-92, there were indications of problems even prior to this.

The three studies in this volume provide a uniquely detailed account of the situation of various vulnerable groups between the inception of the programme and the end of 1993. These studies, dealing respectively with formal labour, women informal sector workers, and the health situation of one urban and one rural community, were carried out as a part of a programme on "The Political and Social Context of Structural Adjustment in Sub-Saharan Africa", based at the Scandinavian Institute of African Studies.