Religio-cultural Standpoints Hindering Adolescent and Young Women’s Access to Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) in Zimbabwe

Abstract

Despite the government of Zimbabwe having prioritised health as a basic human right for all the people since the country attained independence in 1980, ironically some practices and traditions prevalent in the African Apostolic Indigenous Churches (AAICs) still hinder their adherents’ access to bio-medical health care interventions. The focus of this chapter is to interrogate how some AAICs, particularly the Topia Sungano Apostolic Church (TSAC) and the Johane Marange Apostolic Church (JMAC), have continued to instruct their members to solely rely on the Holy Spirit and not to go to the hospital to access modern bio-medicine whenever they are sick. Instead, adherents are encouraged to go to the designated prophets’ homes popularly known as Dzimba dzewarwere (the place for sick people) where they receive healing from various ailments including maternal health care. It is against this background that this chapter sets out to analyse the religio-cultural standpoints which hinder adolescents’ and young women’s access to SRHR, with a particular focus on selected AAICs and how this impacts on attaining health for all, including women at all ages (Sustainable Development Goal Number 3) and the empowerment of all women and girls (Sustainable Development Goal Number 5). The chapter intentionally focuses on adolescents’ and young women’s SRHR because they are the prime victims of the religio-cultural teachings in their churches. The findings presented in the chapter are based on an empirical study which was conducted among members of the TSAC and the JMAC in Zimbabwe. These two churches were selected due to the similarities found in their doctrinal issues. The chapter also adopts the gender justice theory as its framework to create awareness on the effects of religio-cultural teachings on adolescents and young women. The conclusion reached in the chapter is that many young women in AAICs have poor SRHR due to their churches’ religio-cultural teachings. Hence, the chapter reiterates the importance of enlightening the church leaders about the importance of educating the adolescent girls in order to avoid early marriages which puts them at the risk of poor SRHR. This will ensure that religion will become an enabler in the quest to meet the targets set in the Sustainable Development Goals 3 and 5.KeywordsAdolescents and young womenAfrican Apostolic Indigenous Churches (AAICs)Sexual and reproductive health rightsSustainable Development Goals 3 and 5;Zimbabwe