Women, churches and community development in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe

Abstract

This study examined the contribution that women in churches make towards community development. The concept of development of the community by the community has gained prominence in development literature. In addition, churches as institutions that exist within communities have been recognised as most appropriate in steering community development initiatives. However, the role of churches has not been significantly researched or socio-scientifically analysed. The efforts of women in churches towards community development have not been sufficiently recognised and researched either. Women dominate in terms of church membership, and they are actively involved in church activities. This study sought to understand the contribution that women in churches make to community development and to expose barriers that hinder their full participation. Contemporary research has proven that meaningful community development cannot be achieved without the active participation of women. This thesis contributes to the body of knowledge by recognising women as an important nexus in community development and by providing a detailed perspective of their role in churches and the obstacles that hamper their meaningful participation in community development. The spiritual contribution of women in churches to community development is scarcely documented and has largely been undermined – as evidenced by the scarcity of research on how spirituality could be integrated into community development. Therefore, this study provides insight into the importance of spirituality in community development, with special reference to women in churches. The study unveils and acknowledges the significance that the voluntary, non-paid activities of women in churches have for community development. This qualitative research study was guided by the GAD theory and has followed a constructivist epistemological stance. A case study research design was adopted to explore the intersection of women, churches, and community development. Thematic data analysis was the data analysis method adopted for this research and the sample size was 58. The key findings of this study have indicated that women in churches are mainly affected by a patriarchal system that prevents them from participating meaningfully in community development initiatives. The patriarchal structures within churches are maintained through incompatible doctrines. Thus, there is a need for transformation of church leadership and decision-making structures.

In hierdie studie is ondersoek ingestel na die bydrae wat vroue in kerke tot gemeenskapsontwikkeling lewer. Die konsep van ontwikkeling van die gemeenskap, deur die gemeenskap, het bekendheid verwerf in ontwikkelingsliteratuur. Kerke as instellings wat in gemeenskappe bestaan, is ook erken as die geskikste vir die bestuur van gemeenskapsontwikkeling-inisiatiewe. Die rol van kerke is egter nie wetenskaplik nagevors of sosiaal-wetenskaplik ontleed nie. Die ywer waarmee vroue in kerke tot gemeenskapsontwikkeling bydra, is ook nie genoegsaam erken en nagevors nie. Vroue voer die botoon as dit by kerklidmaatskap kom, en hulle is aktief by kerk-aktiwiteite betrokke. Hierdie studie poog om die bydrae wat vroue in kerke tot gemeenskapsontwikkeling lewer, te verstaan en om struikelblokke te onthul wat hul volwaardige deelname kniehalter. Hedendaagse navorsing het bewys dat betekenisvolle gemeenskapsontwikkeling nie bewerkstellig kan word sonder vroue se aktiewe deelname nie. Hierdie tesis dra tot die kenniskorpus by deur vroue te erken as ’n belangrike skakel in gemeenskapsontwikkeling, en deur ’n uitvoerige perspektief te bied van hul rol in kerke en die struikelblokke wat hul betekenisvolle deelname aan gemeenskapsontwikkeling bemoeilik. Die geestelike bydrae wat vroue in kerke tot gemeenskapsontwikkeling lewer, is skaars gedokumenteer en is grootliks ondermyn – soos blyk uit die gebrek aan navorsing oor hoe geestelikheid in gemeenskapsontwikkeling geïntegreer kan word. Hierdie studie gee dus insig rakende die belangrikheid van geestelikheid in gemeenskapsontwikkeling, met besondere aandag aan vroue in kerke. Die studie erken en werp lig op die belangrike rol wat die vrywillige, onbetaalde aktiwiteite van vroue in kerke, in gemeenskapsontwikkeling speel. Hierdie kwalitatiewe navorsingstudie is gerig deur die GAD-teorie, met ’n konstruktivistiese, epistemologiese standpunt as vertrekpunt. ’n Gevallestudie-navorsingsontwerp is gebruik om die kruispunt van vroue, kerke en gemeenskapsontwikkeling te bestudeer. Tematiese data-ontleding was die data-ontledingsmetode wat vir hierdie navorsing ingespan is, en die steekproefgrootte was 58. Die sleutelbevindings van hierdie studie toon aan dat vroue in kerke hoofsaaklik beïnvloed word deur ’n patriargale stelsel wat hulle verhoed om op betekenisvolle wyse by gemeenskapsontwikkeling-inisiatiewe betrokke te wees. Die patriargale strukture in kerke word deur onverenigbare doktrines gehandhaaf. Daar is dus ’n behoefte aan transformasie van kerkleierskap en besluitnemingstrukture.

Lolu cwaningo luhlole igalelo elenziwa abesifazane emasontweni ekuthuthukiseni umphakathi. Umqondo wokuthuthukiswa komphakathi ngumphakathi uthole ukugqama emibhalweni yentuthuko. Ngaphezu kwalokho, amasonto njengezikhungo ezikhona emiphakathini aqashelwe njengafanele kakhulu ekuqhubeni izinhlelo zokuthuthukisa umphakathi. Nokho, indima yamasonto ayizange icwaningwe kakhulu noma ihlaziywe ngokwenhlalonhle-yesayensi. Imizamo yabesifazane emasontweni ekuthuthukiseni umphakathi ayikaqashelwa ngokwanele futhi yacwaningwa. Abesifazane bayabusa ngokwemibandela yobulungu bebandla futhi bamatasatasa emisebenzini yebandla. Lolu cwaningo belufuna ukuqonda igalelo elenziwa ngabesifazane emasontweni ekuthuthukisweni komphakathi kanye nokudalula izithiyo ezivimbela ukuhlanganyela kwabo ngokugcwele. Ucwaningo lwesimanje selukhombisile ukuthi ukuthuthukiswa komphakathi okuphusile ngeke kuzuzwe ngaphandle kokubamba iqhaza kwabesifazane. Le thesis inikela endikimbeni yolwazi ngokubona abesifazane njengesixhumanisi esibalulekile ekuthuthukisweni komphakathi nangokuhlinzeka ngemininingwane yeqhaza lalabo abaya emasontweni kanye nezithiyo ezithikameza ukuhlanganyela kwabo okunengqondo ekuthuthukisweni komphakathi. Igalelo elingokomoya labesifazane emasontweni ekuthuthukisweni komphakathi libhalwe phansi futhi liye labukelwa phansi - njengoba kufakazelwa ukushoda kocwaningo lokuthi ingokomoya lingahlanganiswa kanjani nokuthuthukiswa komphakathi. Ngakho-ke, lolu cwaningo lunikeza ukuqonda ngokubaluleka kwengokomoya ekuthuthukisweni komphakathi, kubhekiselwa ngokukhethekile kwabesifazane emasontweni. Lolu cwaningo lwembula futhi luvuma ukubaluleka kokuthi imisebenzi yokuzithandela, engakhokhelwa yabesifazane emasontweni anayo ukuze kuthuthukiswe umphakathi. Lolu cwaningo lwesimo lwaluholwa yithiyori ye-GAD futhi lulandele isimo esiphakeme nesakhayo sephestimoloji. Idizayini yocwaningo lwecala yamukelwa ukuhlola ukuhlangana kwabesifazane, amasonto, nokuthuthukiswa komphakathi. Ukuhlaziywa kweminingwane eyinqikithi kwakuyindlela yokuhlaziya iminingwane eyamukelwa kulolu cwaningo futhi usayizi wesampula wawungama-58. Imiphumela eyinhloko yalolu cwaningo ibonise ukuthi abesifazane emasontweni bathinteka kakhulu ohlelweni lwenzalamizi olubavimbela ukuba babambe iqhaza ngendlela enenjongo ezinhlelweni zokuthuthukisa umphakathi. Izakhiwo zezinzalamizi ngaphakathi emasontweni zigcinwa ngezimfundiso ezingahambelani. Ngakho, kunesidingo sokuguqulwa kobuholi bebandla nezinhlaka ezithatha izinqumo.