Religion and Gender Equality. An Assessment of the Role of Religion in Women’s Political Participation in Zimbabwe

Abstract

Regardless of women being half of the world’s population, they remain considerably
underrepresented in political leadership around the world. Women's participation in
political leadership has become a huge problem and has resulted in the
marginalisation of most women in political leadership. African women’s history in
political leadership demonstrates that marginalisation of women was rampant.
Religion has played an important role in shaping public policies, participation and
public life in many countries around the world. Religion has a significant influence on
political behaviour and its impact on women’s political participation in Zimbabwe
remains underexplored. Gender inequality is a prevalent phenomenon in developing
countries, due to poor governance and religious institutions. This study examined the
role of religion in shaping women’s access to political leadership, using a conceptual
analysis grounded in Social Role Theory, Intersectionality Theory, and Political
Theology. Does religion impact women's participation in political leadership in
Zimbabwe? Marginalisation of women perpetuates the violation of women’s rights and
infringes conventions such as the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of
Discrimination Against Women, Protocol to the African Charter on Human and
Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women, and the Constitution of Zimbabwe, 2013 The
research reviewed Zimbabwe’s constitutional, legislative and policy frameworks
alongside Christian and African Traditional religious perspectives. Findings indicated
that religious beliefs and practices can contribute to limiting women’s political
participation. The study underscored the complex interaction between religion, culture
and politics in women’s political participation. The study highlighted the need for multisectoral
strategies that include among others advocacy, policy reforms and public
awareness to promote inclusive political participation. Limitations include reliance on secondary data and there is need for empirical studies to investigate religion’s
influence on women’s political leadership in Zimbabwe. Recommendations were made
to the relevant authorities on the elimination of outdated religious practices that limit
women's participation in political leadership in Zimbabwe.