Revamping of a “Sanctuary Without Honor”: VaRemba Women’s Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) in the Enclaves of Religion and Marriage

Abstract

One of the religio-cultural practices that remains veiled in mystery within Zimbabwe’s indigenous communities are the VaRemba people’s initiation ceremonies. This is mainly influenced by the heavy lid of secrecy surrounding their rites of passage. Whilst both VaRemba men and women separately undergo these initiation ceremonies, the focus of this chapter is to illustrate how violence and criminality envelope the private and public space of many VaRemba women in their initiation rites and general womanhood. The VaRemba women’s sexual reproductive health and rights (SRHR) discussed in this chapter are mainly based on Chipo’s story, a semi-fictitious character, born to a Bakare-Varemba family. Chipo is recounting her experiences from school-going age to the present as a mother of three. The author of this chapter adopts “symbology” and the making of sanctuary as its framework. Reflecting on Chipo’s experiences, this chapter maintains the contention that although traditional rituals are shunned by many shades of Christianity, they occupy the biggest part of conviction for many indigenous women. This chapter also illustrates how the meanings of these rituals are far deeper than what the ritual drama and the visual symbols depict. It further argues that although most Varemba traditions promise gratification for women, in reality, this remains a mirage never to be reached. This has serious implications for women’s struggle for equality, as inspired by Sustainable Development Goal 5. In conclusion, this chapter proffers that family life, that is mainly the focus of initiation, is neither enjoyable nor fulfilling to many VaRemba women. Hence, this chapter propounds for a new hermeneutic of human appraisal in cultural values in an endeavor to mollify criminality and violence which inadvertently infringe on most of the VaRemba women’s sexual reproductive health and rights (SRHR).KeywordsCriminalityRitual-makingSacrednessSanctuarySexual reproductive health and rights (SRHR)SymbologyVaremba womenSustainable Development Goal 5Zimbabwe