Marriage as a survival strategy: The case of Masvingo, Zimbabwe

Abstract

ft is the contention of this article that marital hope and pursuit of the marital strategy functions as a suwival option for some female heads of households as shown in this study. This article examines how and in what ways female heads of households benefited or were disadvantaged by the lack of or entry into various forms of marital relationships. The experiences of many of the women interviewed for this study showed that the pursuit of the marital strategy had had different outcomes for different individuals at different times. Sometimes, the outcomes were positive, but at other times, the marital strategy had negative results. Through the use of case studies, this article illustrates the outcomes of both losing and gaining 'official husbands', the exploitation of men by 'some tricky' women, and the implications of this behaviour on the development of the family as an institution of socialisation.

Christian Women’s Experiences of Domestic Violence in Zimbabwe

“…In this regard, male dominance and domestic violence colluded to render women powerless and therefore vulnerable. The vulnerability of married women to HIV and AIDS due to unequal power relations in marriage is well documented (Chitando, 2004; Chitando, 2011; Desai, 2005; Francisco, 2010; Mungwini, 2008; Muzvidziwa, 2001; Phiri, 2002). From some of the participants’ experiences, it can be noted that domestic violence and HIV and AIDS coexisted.…”

Monogamous marriage in Zimbabwe: An insurance against HIV and AIDS?

“…Formal marriages have the potential of exposing wives to HIV and AIDS infection because of the fact that the rights and obligations of married persons make it hard for parties to insist on safe sexual practices (Muzvidziwa, 2001;Chirawu, 2006;Chitando, 2004;ICASO, 2007). The husband feels empowered to have sex with his wife whenever he wants because he has paid lobola, and also because the marriage vows are seen as suggesting that the wife cannot refuse her husband sex, since sex is the essence of marriage.…”

“…This finding concurs with Muzvidziwa's (2001: 151) from a study conducted among women in informal marital unions (mapoto) in Masvingo town, Zimbabwe, where the mapoto women indicated that they were in a better situation than women in formal marriages who were "sitting ducks in the face of HIV/AIDS", and who could not insist on safe sexual practices as they themselves could. This was possible because the mapoto women continued to maintain a high degree of independence as far as decisions about their lives were concerned (Muzvidziwa, 2001).…”

“…Related studies carried out in Zimbabwe include the following: 'Marriage as a survival strategy: the case of Masvingo, Zimbabwe', by Muzvidziwa (2001); the Zimbabwe Human Development Report (2003); and 'Shona Womanhood: Rethinking Social Identities in the Face of HIV and AIDS in Zimbabwe' by Mungwini (2008). Manuwere (2010) (Kampala), 25 August 2010) of Uganda report studies revealing an increase in HIV infections among married couples in general and women in particular.…”

Single women, land and livelihood vulnerability in a communal area in Zimbabwe

“…Single women were discriminated against in the allocation of trading space because of their marital status (Zhou, 1993 cited in Gaidzanwa, 1997: 162-163). The option of cross-border trading is a highly lucrative activity closed to the majority of women from rural areas as they lack cash and the formal documents required for these activities (Cheater and Gaidzanwa, 1996;Muzvidziwa, 2000Muzvidziwa, , 2001).…”