Churches as community development locus : addressing the challenges of the girl child in the Eastern Highlands of Zimbabwe

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The girl child in Zimbabwe encounters great suffering emanating from cultural, traditional and, at times, religious factors. These, in total, make the girl child's life challenges innumerable. While the churches in Zimbabwe are aware of the girl child challenges, they have not related to them effectively. Some of these challenges are related to spiritual beliefs. This study explores the causes of the girl child's suffering in Zimbabwe and the intersection between gender, culture and development. The reason for this exploration is to discover how these three areas interact with each other as determinants to the just place of women in the community. It also explores the relationship between religion, culture and gender. In this context, it looks at religious and church affiliation in a Zimbabwean context. Thereafter, the thesis explores the concepts of church and gender, the concept of female submission, and theological challenges within Southern Africa. These include the concept of God, the role and status of women in the image of God, a discussion of women in the texts and the concept of sin, salvation and wholeness. The thesis draws mainly on the works of African women theologians although not exclusively, when dealing with theological challenges. Furthermore, the thesis reports on qualitative interviews conducted with selected religious leaders in the Eastern highlands. It uses a qualitative method that seeks to describe and attach meaning to phenomena. This study concludes by providing recommendations as to how the church in Zimbabwe could act as a community development locus in addressing the challenges of a girl child in the Eastern Highlands of Zimbabwe.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University