Table Of ContentGendered Spaces, Religion, and
Migration in Zimbabwe
This book explores the intersections of gender, religion, and migration within the
context of independent Zimbabwe, with a specific focus on how gender disparities
impact economic development.
By demonstrating how these interconnections impact women’s and girls’ lived
realities, the book addresses the need for gender equity, gender inclusion, and
gender mainstreaming in both religious and societal institutions. The book assesses
the gender and migration nexus in Zimbabwe and examines the impact of religio-
cultural ideologies on the status of women. In doing so, it assesses the transition of
Zimbabwean women across spaces and provides insights into the practical strategies that
can be utilized to improve their status both ‘at home’ and ‘on the move.’ Furthermore,
chapters show how space continues to be genderized in ways that perpetuate structural
inequality to challenge the exclusion of women from key social processes.
Contributing to ongoing scholarly debates on gender in Africa, this book will
be of interest to academics and students of gender studies, women’s studies, African
studies, development studies, and advocators of human rights and gender activists.
Ezra Chitando serves as Professor of Religious Studies at the University of
Zimbabwe and as Theology Consultant on HIV for the World Council of Churches.
He is also an extraordinary professor at the University of the Western Cape.
Sophia Chirongoma is a senior lecturer in the Religious Studies Department at
Midlands State University, Zimbabwe. She is also Academic Associate/Research
Fellow at the Research Institute for Theology and Religion (RITR) in the College
of Human Sciences, University of South Africa (UNISA). Her research interests
and publications focus on the interface between culture, ecology, religion, health,
and gender justice.
Molly Manyonganise holds a PhD degree in Biblical and Religious Studies from
the University of Pretoria. She is a senior lecturer in the Department of Religious
Studies and Philosophy at the Zimbabwe Open University. She is Research
Associate in the Department of Religion Studies, Faculty of Theology and
Religion of the University of Pretoria. Currently, she is Georg Forster Postdoctoral
Research Fellow at Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. Her research interests
comprise religion and politics, gender and religion, religion and sexuality, African
Indigenous religion(s), and African Christianity.
Gendered Spaces, Religion, and
Migration in Zimbabwe
Implications for Economic Development
Edited by Ezra Chitando, Sophia
Chirongoma and Molly Manyonganise
First published 2023
by Routledge
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© 2023 selection and editorial matter Ezra Chitando, Sophia Chirongoma
and Molly Manyonganise; individual chapters, the contributors
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to be identified as the authors of the editorial material, and of the authors
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British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Chitando, Ezra, editor. | Chirongoma, Sophia, editor. | Manyonganise, Molly, editor.
Title: Gendered spaces, religion and migration in Zimbabwe : implications for economic
development / edited by Ezra Chitando, Sophia Chirongoma, and Molly Manyonganise.
Description: Abingdon, Oxon ; New York, NY : Routledge, 2023. | Series: Routledge studies on
gender and sexuality in Africa | Includes bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2022018314 (print) | LCCN 2022018315 (ebook) | ISBN 9781032329826
(hardback) | ISBN 9781032329833 (paperback) | ISBN 9781003317609 (ebook)
Subjects: LCSH: Women—Zimbabwe. | Women and religion—Zimbabwe. | Women in
development—Zimbabwe. | Zimbabwe—Emigration and immigration—Economic aspects.
Classification: LCC HQ1801 .G475 2023 (print) | LCC HQ1801 (ebook) |
DDC 305.42096891—dc23/eng/20220613
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2022018314
LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2022018315
ISBN: 978-1-032-32982-6 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-1-032-32983-3 (pbk)
ISBN: 978-1-003-31760-9 (ebk)
DOI: 10.4324/9781003317609
Typeset in Bembo
by Apex CoVantage, LLC
Contents
List of Contributors viii
1 Introduction: Gendered Spaces, Religion, and
Migration in Zimbabwe: Implications for Economic
Development 1
EZRA CHITANDO, SOPHIA CHIRONGOMA, AND
MOLLY MANYONGANISE
SECTION A
The Power of Naming: Gendered Nuances (Chapters 2–4) 17
2 Gendered Nuances and Naming Traditions in
Zimbabwe: A Case Study of the Shona Indigenous
Religion 19
MARADZE VIRIRI AND TENSON MUYAMBO
3 Zimbabwean Women Where Art Thou? Harare
Central Business District Anthroponymy, Culture,
and Exclusion 36
PATRICIA RURAMISAI MABUGU, ANNASTACIA DHUMUKWA, AND
CATHRINE R. SIBANDA
4 Zimbabwean Women’s Writings and Women’s
Theology: Supporting Women’s Struggles for Full
Rights and Dignity 51
ANNA CHITANDO AND EZRA CHITANDO
vi Contents
SECTION B
Religio-Cultural Traditions and Gender-Based
Discourses Shaping the Status of Zimbabwean
Women (Chapters 5–10) 65
5 Religio-Cultural Traditions Hindering Zimbabwean
Women From Accessing the Benefits of the Fast Track
Land Reform Programme 67
SIBIZIWE SHUMBA AND SUSAN SAMUKELE DUBE
6 The Church’s Struggle for Gender Justice in
Zimbabwe: Inspiration From Exodus 2:16–22 83
XOLANI MASEKO
7 Reflecting on Women’s Voices in the Anti-Gender-
Based Violence Discourse in Zimbabwean Music 98
SINDISO ZHOU, NOMATTER SANDE AND NHLANHLA LANDA
8 Music as an Oasis of Hope and Affirmation for
African Women of Faith: An Analysis of Selected
Post-2000 Zimbabwean Gospel Lyrics 113
SARAH YEUKAI MATANGA
9 A Hermeneutical Exploration of Gender Perceptions
Inherent in Some Selected ChiShona Poetry Texts
Prescribed for Ordinary-Level Secondary School
Learners in Zimbabwe 127
BEATRICE TARINGA
10 Zimbabwean Women on Social Media 145
CHIPO CHIRIMUUTA
SECTION C
Interrogating the Challenges Encountered by
Zimbabwean Female Migrants (Chapters 11–15) 161
11 The Triple Suffering of Zimbabwean Women
Trafficked to the Middle East: Examining
Women’s Religio-Cultural, Socioeconomic, and
Emotional Trauma 163
MARTIN MUJINGA
Contents vii
12 Zimbabwe at Forty, usukhulile/wakura: Interrogating
the ihlazo and Religio-Cultural Violations Endured by
Zimbabwean Female ‘Illegal’ Migrants in South Africa 180
HERBERT MOYO
13 Ethical Dilemma for Zimbabwean Christian Women
Engaged in Cross-Border Trading 202
TABITHA BISHAU
14 Labor Laws and the De-skilling of Professional
Migrant Women From Zimbabwe to South Africa 217
ANGELA GUBBA AND SINENHLANHLA SITHULISIWE CHISALE
15 Unmasking Patriarchy: The Plight of Zimbabwean
Migrant ‘Career-Wives’ in Light of the South African
Immigration Regulations 236
SINENHLANHLA SITHULISIWE CHISALE, NELLIE D. MYBURGH, AND
ANGELA GUBBA
Index 249
Contributors
Tabitha Bishau is a senior lecturer at Mutare Teachers’ College and an adjunct
lecturer at Africa University, teaching Introduction to the Study of Religion
and African Traditional Religion. She is a holder of a Master of Arts in Reli-
gious Studies, Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Religious Studies, and a Diploma
in Religious Studies, all from the University of Zimbabwe. She is currently
studying for a doctoral degree with the Zimbabwe Open University.
Anna Chitando (PhD) is Associate Professor in the Department of Languages
and Literature, Faculty of Arts, Culture and Heritage Studies at the Z imbabwe
Open University. She holds a Doctor of Literature and Philosophy in English
from the University of South Africa. Anna has published articles in refer-
eed journals, books, and chapters in books. Her research interests include
African literature, children’s literature, gender, and peacebuilding studies.
Chipo Chirimuuta holds a PhD (UNISA), an MA degree in African L anguages
and Literature (UZ), a BA Special Honours degree in Ndebele (UZ), a
BA General degree (English, Ndebele, and History) (UZ), a Post-Graduate
Diploma in Media and Society Studies (MSU), and a Post-Graduate Certifi-
cate in Education (UZ). She is Associate Professor and Chairperson of the
Department of Culture and Heritage Studies at the Zimbabwe Open Uni-
versity. Her research work is centered on indigenous knowledge systems,
indigenous languages, culture and gender, culture and heritage, language
and the media, media and culture vis-à-vis their contribution to the devel-
opment of the people’s understanding of themselves, their historical experi-
ence, and their spaces on the global world and their self-identity.
Sophia Chirongoma is a senior lecturer in the Religious Studies Depart-
ment at Midlands State University, Zimbabwe. She is also Academic Associ-
ate/Research Fellow at the Research Institute for Theology and Religion
(RITR) in the College of Human Sciences, University of South Africa
(UNISA). Her research interests and publications focus on the interface
between culture, ecology, religion, health, and gender justice.
Sinenhlanhla Sithulisiwe Chisale (PhD) is a research fellow at the University
of Pretoria currently working on a research project titled ‘Gender Studies
Contributors ix
and Practical Theology Theory Formation,’ directed by Prof. Dr. Yolanda
Dreyer at Department of Practical Theology. She holds a DTH (practical
theology) (UNISA), master of arts in sociology (cum laude) (UNISA), and
master of theology and development degree (UKZN). Her research focuses
on migration, pastoral care, gender, sexuality, disability, and religion. She
was awarded postdoctoral research fellowship grants from the University of
Pretoria in Practical Theology and the University of Stellenbosch in Gender
Units successively.
Ezra Chitando serves as Professor of Religious Studies at the University of
Zimbabwe and as Theology Consultant on HIV for the World Council
of Churches. He is also an extraordinary professor at the University of the
Western Cape.
Annastacia Dhumukwa is a lecturer at the University of Zimbabwe in the
Department of Languages, Literature and Culture. She has been teaching
Communication Skills and Linguistics in the department since 2012. Her
research interests are in the areas of second language pedagogy, seman-
tics, and forensic linguistics. She is a holder of a master’s degree in applied
linguistics and is working toward obtaining a PhD degree in English stud-
ies with the University of Namibia and a bachelor of law degree from the
University of Zimbabwe. Annastacia has published a number of articles in
the aforementioned areas.
Susan Samukele Dube holds a master’s degree in safety, health, and
environmental management from the Midlands State University. She is cur-
rently Principal Lecturer in the Department of Languages and Humanities
at Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo Polytechnic College, lecturing in Social Stud-
ies and Geography. She is also a part-time tutor with the Zimbabwe Open
University. She has written and presented several research papers in various
research conferences.
Angela Gubba has attained the following academic and professional qualifica-
tions: D.Ed. in Education Management UNISA; M.Ed. in Administration,
Planning, and Policy Studies (ZOU); BA Gen. (UZ); Grad. C.E. (UZ);
Skills Development Facilitation (UNISA); Sector Education and Training
Authority (SETA) Assessor, Accreditation Training Services. She is Research
Associate in the Department of Practical Theology at the University of
Pretoria, South Africa. Her areas of specialization include education man-
agement, gender and migration, migration for higher education, domestic
work and children’s education, assessment of students’ learning and skills
development facilitation. Gubba is a well-published writer. She has e xtensive
teaching experience in high school in Zimbabwe and South Africa. She also
has taught in primary schools.
Nhlanhla Landa (PhD) is Senior Lecturer at the University of Fort Hare in
South Africa. His research interests include multilingualism, language and
