ZIMBABWE: IN MANY HOMES IN ZIMBABWE THE MAN IS STILL CONSIDERED "KING" BACKGROUND FEATURE

Record ID: 679510

  • Title: ZIMBABWE: IN MANY HOMES IN ZIMBABWE THE MAN IS STILL CONSIDERED "KING" BACKGROUND FEATURE
  • Date: 23rd December 1996
  • Summary: HARARE, ZIMBABWE (RECENT) (RTV) SALINA MUMBENGEGWI, WOMEN'S ACTION GROUP SAYINGWELL I SUPPOSE MUCH WILL DEPEND ON THE POLITICAL COMMITTMENT THAT IS PUT INTO IT AND THAT WILL BE SEEN IN TERMS OF THE RESOURCES PUT INTO IT TO ENSURE THAT WOMEN HAVE SPACE IN THE ACTIVITIES BEING DONE IN SADC. SPACE IN TERMS OF DECISION MAKING (ENGLISH) ANTHONY TADERERE COMING OUT OF FACTORY WORKSHOP PLANKS OF WOOD BEING SAWED TO MAKE FURNITURE TADERERE WALKING INTO FACTORY LOADING BAY TADERERE SAYING UNFORTUNATELY THE PERCENTAGE OF EDUCATION BETWEEN MEN AND WOMEN IS DIFFERENT. AS I SAY IT'S UNFORTUNATELY IT FAVOURED MEN. WHEN ISSUES OF DISCUSSION CAME UP THE WOMEN BECOME LIMITED ABOUT WHAT THEY CAN TALK ABOUT OR WHAT THEY CAN UNDERSTAND (ENGLISH) CHITUNGWIZA, NEAR HARARE, ZIMBABWE (RECENT) (RTV) CHENGETAI AND HIS WIFE VERONICA SITTING TOGETHER TALKING VERONICA IN THE GARDEN SIGN ON HOUSE READING "MY CHOICE NOT MISTAKE" HARARE, ZIMBABWE (RECENT) (RTV) YOUNG ENGAGED COUPLE PEGGY BANDA AND TAYLOR MVUDUDU TAYLOR MVUDUDU SAYING I DON'T KNOW. MAKE UP YOUR MIND WALKING TOGETHER HOLDING HANDS IF YOU WANT TO GET MARRIED ... (ENGLISH) PEGGY INTERUPTING AND SAYING YOU SAYING IF YOU PAY LOBOLA YOU WON'T MARRY ME (ENGLISH) TAYLOR SAYING YES THAT IS IT (ENGLISH) PEGGY SAYING WELL YOU HAD BETTER FIND SOMEONE ELSE THEN TAYLOR SAYING MAYBE THAT'S IT. SERIOUSLY - IF YOU DON'T - SERIOUSLY (ENGLISH) BELIEVE IN IT AND I BELIEVE IN IT - WE WILL ALWAYS CLASH PEGGY SAYING PAYING LOBOLA TO ME IT FELT LIKE HE WAS TAKING SOMETHING AWAY FROM ME LIKE MY RIGHTS FOR INSTANCE. THAT IT'S AN OWNERSHIP THING. THAT IS WHY I SAY NO. I AM NOT INTERESTED IN LOBOLA, I DON'T BELIEVE IN LOBOLA" (ENGLISH) TAYLOR SAYING I BELIEVE IT'S FOLLOWING THE NORMS AND VALUES I WAS RAISED UP TO AND I AM NOT JUST GOING TO THROW THEM AWAY JUST LIKE THAT BECAUSE I BELIEVE I WOULD LIKE TO LET THOSE THAT I GIVE BIRTH TO OR THE FUTURE GENERATION TO KNOW EXACTLY WHO THEY ARE" (ENGLISH)
  • Embargoed: 7th January 1997 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: CHITUNGWIZA AND HARARE, ZIMBABWE
  • Country: Zimbabwe
  • Topics: General,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVABWCRQ41OPVAW64BLAVV2JRKS
  • Story Text: Despite recent efforts by South African President Nelson Mandela to rally support in southern Africa for gender equality old traditions die hard.
    In many homes in Zimbabwe, for example, the man is still considered "king".
    -------------------------------------------- At the end of a long day, Chengetai Muzarura returns to his home in Chitungwiza near the Zimbabwean capital, Harare. The padlock on his gate divides the outside world from his domestic domain. Inside, his tradition dictates that he is king of the household.
    In many ways the Muzaruras are a modern couple. He's an accountant, she trained as a nurse's aid, but they believe passionately in their tradition, which dictates that the wife must prepare the food, do the housework and look after the children without question.
    ----------------------- CAPTION: CHENGETAI MUZARURA, HUSBAND "CULTURALLY, THE MAN IN AN AFRICAN SOCIETY IS A KING. HE'S REFLECTED AS KING SO ALL THE WORK IS DONE BY THE WOMAN. SO IF WE DIVERT OURSELVES FROM THE CULTURAL WAY, WE ARE LOSING OUR OWN ROOTS. SO I THINK WE SHOULD CONTINUE WITH OUR AFRICAN CULTURE WAY OF DOING THINGS WHERE THE WOMAN IS FOUND IN THE KITCHEN AND THE MAN IS A KING (ENGLISH) ---------------------- CAPTION: VERONICA MUZARURA, WIFE "I DON'T MIND ANYTHING. I FEEL IT'S OKAY FOR ME BECAUSE I AM ALSO AN AFRICAN AND I DON'T FEEL OFFENDED OR ANYTHING IN TRYING TO FOLLOW THE AFRICAN WAY. I'VE JUST GROWN UP IN THE AFRICAN CULTURE (ENGLISH) ------------------------ But this age old tradition which institutionalises male superiority has been challenged by (South African) President Nelson Mandela. At a recent Southern African Development Community (SADC) summit in Malawi, he encouraged Africans to work for gender equality, but womens' rights activists are still sceptical.
    ------------------------- CAPTION: SALINA MUMBENGEGWI, WOMEN'S ACTION GROUP "WELL I SUPPOSE MUCH WILL DEPEND ON THE POLITICAL COMMITTMENT THAT IS PUT INTO IT AND THAT WILL BE SEEN IN TERMS OF THE RESOURCES PUT INTO IT TO ENSURE THAT WOMEN HAVE SPACE IN THE ACTIVITIES BEING DONE IN SADC. SPACE IN TERMS OF DECISION MAKING (ENGLISH) ------------------------- Equlaity is a concept that horrifies traditionalists like Anthony Taderere. By day, he runs a furniture business but at home he's an elder and a guardian of tradition.
    ------------------------- CAPTION: ANTHONY TADERERE, ELDER "UNFORTUNATELY THE PERCENTAGE OF EDUCATION BETWEEN MEN AND WOMEN IS DIFFERENT. AS I SAY IT'S UNFORTUNATELY FAVOURED MEN. WHEN ISSUES OF DISCUSSION CAME UP THE WOMEN ARE LIMITED ABOUT WHAT THEY CAN TALK ABOUT OR WHAT THEY CAN UNDERSTAND (ENGLISH) ------------------------- One of the cornerstones of inequality between husbandsd and wives is the tradition of "Lobola" - or bride price. Chengetai paid Veronica's father six cows and a sum of money for her hand. But critics say dowries encourage an attitude of ownership in relationships.
    For young, modern couples like taylor and his fiancee Peggy, "lobola" is a sensitive subject.
    ------------------------ CAPTION: PEGGY BANDA, FIANCEE "I FELT LIKE HE WAS TAKING SOMETHING AWAY FROM ME LIKE MY RIGHTS FOR INSTANCE. THAT IT'S AN OWNERSHIP THING. THAT IS WHY I DON'T BELIEVE IN LOBOLA" (ENGLISH) ------------------------- CAPTION: TAYLOR MVUDUDU, FIANCE "I BELIEVE IT'S FOLLOWING THE NORMS AND VALUES I WAS RAISED UP TO AND I AM NOT JUST GOING TO THROW THEM AWAY. I BELIEVE I WOULD LIKE THOSE I GIVE BIRTH TO TO KNOW EXACTLY WHO THEY ARE" (ENGLISH) ------------------------- But as young Africans become increasingly influenced by Western culture, they are less and less likely to want to stick to African traditions.
    ------------------------- CAPTION: CHENGETAI MUZARURA, HUSBAND "MOST OF THE CHILDREN THEY KNOW ONLY WESTERN WAY OF DOING THINGS SO THEY SHUN THE CULTURE SO I THINK THERE'S GOING TO BE A GAP BETWEEN PEOPLE BORN 30 YEARS AGO AND NOW BECAUSE THEY KNOW THE WESTERN CULTURE MORE THAN THE AFRICAN CULTURE" (ENGLISH) ------------------------ CAPTION: SALINA MUMBENGEGWI, WOMEN'S ACTION GROUP "WELL I WOULD SAY TO THE MEN OF AFRICA THAT THERE'S NOTHING TO FEAR IN THE EMPOWERMENT OF WOMEN BECAUSE IT WOULD TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION THE OTHER GENDER WHICH IS OFTEN NEGLECTED. SO I THINK THE ISSUE OF GENDER EQUALITY AND GENDER SHOULD NOT BE THE ISSUE OF WOMEN BECAUSE EVERYBODY HAS SOMETHING TO BENEFIT" (ENGLISH) ------------------------ The leaders of southern Africa may have pledged to promote equality between the sexes but it's likely that the effort will meet grass roots resistance, raising the question whether men and women will ever be equal.
    ------------------------ CAPTION: ANTHONY TADERERE, ELDER "QUITE FRANKLY, I DON'T THINK SO. THERE IS NO LIKELIHOOD OF GENDER EQUALITY. IF I SAY SOME STRONG CHARACTERS OF OUR LADIES HAD THIER WAY THEY WOULD WANT TO TILT THE SCALE OVER THE OTHER END AND WOMEN WOULD BE ABOVE MEN AND OBVIOUSLY THERE IS NO GENDER EQUALITY IN THAT. SO WHETHER THIS IS GOING TO BE ATTAINABLE AT ALL I THINK ITIS GOING TO TAKE MANY MANY YEARS FOR THIS TO COME ABOUT (ENGLISH)
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