Religion, Women’s Health Rights and Sustainable Development in Zimbabwe

Abstract

The introduction addresses some of the pertinent issues at the intersection of religion, culture, women’s sexual reproductive health and rights in the context of the aspirations of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDGs 3 and 5. It provides the basis for a gender analysis of religion, culture and women’s reproductive health and rights. The introduction draws attention to the significance of religio-cultural beliefs in shaping and influencing the sexual reproductive health and rights (SRHR) discourse from a gender perspective, postcolonial theory and the ambivalence of religion and culture in relation to African women’s health rights. It also discusses the way sacred texts are deployed in the sexual reproductive health and rights discourse, particularly in relation to curtailing women’s rights. It further highlights women’s agency in navigating the religio-cultural terrain in the area of sexual reproductive health and rights. It further questions the scholarly neglect of the topic on religion, sexual reproductive health and rights with a special focus on the youth and also calls for an inclusive study that brings in the subject of sexual minorities within homophobic contexts such as Zimbabwe. The chapter reflects on how religion and culture can be mobilised to promote SDGs 3 and 5 in the context of women’s reproductive health rights. Further, it provides a summary of the chapters in the volume.KeywordsAfrican women’s health rightsGender perspectiveReligio-cultural beliefsSexual reproductive health and rights (SRHR)Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)