Can A Woman Lead? Unmasking Culturally-Sanctioned Gender Inequality Among The Lemba Of Mposi Area, Mberengwa

Table of Contents

ABSTRACT ............................................................................................................................................. i

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .................................................................................................................... ii

ABBREVIATIONS ...................................................................................................................................... v

CHAPTER ONE ......................................................................................................................................... 1

INTRODUCING THE STUDY ...................................................................................................................... 1

1.0 Area of investigation ................................................................................................................... 1

1.2 Aim and Objectives ....................................................................................................................... 2

1.3 Methodology ................................................................................................................................. 2

1.3.1 Phenomenology .......................................................................................................................... 2

1.3.2 Feministic hermeneutics ............................................................................................................ 3

1.3.3 Data collection instruments ........................................................................................................... 5

1.3.4 Interviews ................................................................................................................................... 5

1.3.5 Observation ................................................................................................................................ 7

1.4 Justification of the study ................................................................................................................... 8

1.5 Literature review ............................................................................................................................... 8

CHAPTER TWO ...................................................................................................................................... 12

The History of the Lemba people ......................................................................................................... 12

2.0 Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 12

2.1 The Origin of the Lemba people ..................................................................................................... 13

2.2 Jewish Traditional Origin of the Lemba ..................................................................................... 13

2.2.1 The Ngoma Lungundu / the Sacred Drum................................................................................ 17

2.3 Arabic Tradition Origin of the Lemba people ........................................................................... 18

2.4 History of the Lemba people of Mberengwa .................................................................................. 20

2.5 Conclusion .................................................................................................................................. 25

CHAPTER THREE .............................................................................................................................. 26

The roles of women in Lemba social life .............................................................................................. 26

3.0 Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 26

3.1 Male circumcision/ Ngoma ......................................................................................................... 26

3.2 Female initiation (Komba) .......................................................................................................... 27

3.3 Home bringing ceremony (Kurova guva) ................................................................................... 30

3.4 Funeral ........................................................................................................................................ 31

3.5 Lobola (Bride price) .................................................................................................................... 31

3.6 Children’s lives ........................................................................................................................... 32

iv

3.7 Child bearing ............................................................................................................................... 32

3.8 Conclusion .................................................................................................................................. 33

CHAPTER FOUR ................................................................................................................................. 34

THE CAPABILITY AND POTENTIAL OF WOMEN AND WAYS TO COMBAT GENDER INEQUALITY BETWEEN MEN AND WOMEN IN LEMBA CULTURE ....................................... 34

4.0 Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 34

4.1 Capability and Potential of women to lead in Lemba culture ..................................................... 34

4.2 Ways of combating gender inequality in Lemba culture ................................................................ 36

4.3 Gender equality in creation stories .............................................................................................. 38

4.4 Conclusion .................................................................................................................................. 43

Summary, Recommendations and Conclusions .................................................................................... 44

5.0 Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 44

5.1 Summary ......................................................................................................................................... 44

5.2 Recommendations ........................................................................................................................... 45

5.3 Conclusion ...................................................................................................................................... 48

REFERENCES .................................................................................................................................... 50

INTERNET ........................................................................................................................................... 54

INTERVIEW QUESTIONS .................................................................................................................