Wife beating amongst Africans as a challenge to pastoral care

Abstract

Traditional African people are known for respecting their marriage. Even though marriage is so highly regarded, it is astonishing to realise that wife beating has become an extremely common practice amongst them. It therefore becomes an important research question to ask about the extent to which deeply-seated traditional customs regarding wife beating as a form of stamping down authority and of trying to keep the household in order, will have to be confronted with what is deemed to be good practice from the perspective of the law, community and pastoral caregivers. There are women who live with scars on their faces and bodies, having been beaten by their husbands. Although there are many forms of abuse towards women in family situations, this article aims particularly to focus on wife beating that is practiced for traditional as well as other related reasons. This research will involve itself with establishing whether the reasons for wife beating are part of the traditional system for keeping the household in order and interrogate both legal and pastoral interventions that attempt to eliminate or avoid such behaviour.Tradisionele Afrikane is nog altyd daarvoor bekend dat hulle die instelling van die huwelik respekteer. Verbasend genoeg is vroueslanery egter ’n ou gevestigde gebruik wat vandag algemeen onder Afrikane voorkom. Die mate waartoe diepgewortelde gebruike soos vroueslanery as ’n manier om gesag af te dwing en orde in die huis te handhaaf, gekonfronteer sal moet word met wat as goeie praktyk beskou word vanuit die gesigspunt van die reg, die gemeenskap en pastorale versorgers, is dus ’n belangrike navorsingsvraag. Baie vroue dra fisiese en emosionele littekens wat deur hulle eggenote veroorsaak is. Alhoewel daar baie vorme van vrouemishandeling in familiesituasies voorkom, fokus hierdie artikel veral op vroueslanery wat om tradisionele en verwante redes beoefen word. Hierdie navorsing probeer vasstel of die redes vir vroueslanery deel van die tradisionele sisteem uitmaak waarvolgens orde in die huishouding gehandhaaf is. Dit ondersoek regs- sowel as pastorale ingryping wat sodanige gedrag probeer elimineer of voorkom.

Gender and Educational Differences in Perception of Domestic Violence Against Women Among Libyan Migrants in Manchester

“…Force and the use of power in this respect are not considered abuse, rather such acts are perceived as corrective measures (Joseph, 1996). At the heart of this notion lies the fact that women are like minors and must be punished by their husbands, fathers, and brothers when they are disobedient, and are socialized to accept it (Baloyi, 2013). Socio-cultural and religious practices consider men as powerful and authoritative and women as inferiors and less powerful within Libyan communities.…”

Wife Battery: A Divine Command from the Garden of Eden or a Gene Disorder in Men? Ethical Perspectives

“…for it is better to punish the body and correct the soul than to damage the soul and spare the body". (p. 13) On the same issue of using scripture as a justification to batter women, Baloyi (2013) has argued in Wife Beating Amongst Africans as a Challenge to Pastoral Care, many traditional African husbands think that they have abusing power over their wives. Baloyi (2013) regards this view as erroneous.…”

“…(p. 13) On the same issue of using scripture as a justification to batter women, Baloyi (2013) has argued in Wife Beating Amongst Africans as a Challenge to Pastoral Care, many traditional African husbands think that they have abusing power over their wives. Baloyi (2013) regards this view as erroneous. He observes that such an erroneous view emanates from men's misinterpretation and misunderstanding of the word submission as used by the Apostle Paul in his letter to the Ephesians (Eph.…”

“…Aside tradition, Baloyi (2013) identifies childlessness or infertility as another cause of wife battery. Procreation is very important in the African concept of marriage.…”

Gendered character of barrenness in an African context: An African pastoral study

“…Mbiti (1969:104) goes on to say: 'It is believed in many African societies that from the very beginning of human life, God commanded or taught people to get married and bear children. ' The problem is that, instead of childbearing being part of the joy of the family, it is made a burden that sometimes entrenches wife beating (Fidgen 2009;Baloyi 2012) and even women killings (Baloyi 2013;Admin 2010). Chigudu (2004) argues how childlessness entrenched wife beating in Zimbabwe:…”