The important role Third World's women play in actively influencing the development of their respective countries can no longer be doubted. Still, the status quo of especially rural women poses constraints to this task. Historical factors as well as problems concerning the reality of development practice in Zimbabwe are therefore thoroughly analysed. Programmes for the improvement of women's status in the nonformal field run by 20 nongovernmental organisations are observed to identify a successful combination of empowering components. The analysis clearly shows that women's nonformal...