The impact of Ndebele indigenous religion on the status and roles of women in Matabeleland province of Zimbabwe

Abstract

The study focuses on how the indigenous religion of the Ndebele of Matabeleland in Zimba-bwe has had an impact on the status and roles of women in Ndebele society. It covers the pre-colonial, colonial and postcolonial epochs. Data was collected using individual interviews and a focus group discussion following a qualitative research design. The findings revealed that there are Ndebele practices in which women play key roles. These include the appeasement of spirits where women brew beer but are not supposed to lead in communication with spirits. They are banned from entering sacred places like the cattle kraal. The study revealed that the Ndebele Indigenous Religion has influence on the roles and status of women. Women are not expected to communicate with ancestors or visit sacred places. Furthermore, the women are suppressed by the patriarchy that has made them to be second to men in society. However, in the postcolonial era pieces of legislation were put in place in an attempt to adhere to interna-tional conventions and legislation that seek to bring equality between men and women in social and economic spheres. There is still room for improvement as gender equity has not been achieved because of the patriarchal tendencies that are still prevalent in some sections of Ndebele society.