Hlonipha and the rural Zulu woman

Abstract

abstract Against the background of South Africa's Constitution which sensibly provides for the linguistic, cultural, religious and gender rights of every citizen, this Briefing examines the custom of Hlonipha in contemporary rural Zulu society and its ramifications for Zulu women. Despite the Constitution's copious commitment to gender-equality, much of South Africa's rural society remains largely patriarchal. Sadly, many South Africans are not quite ready for the progressive state of their Constitution. And the Constitution itself is not flawless either as several principles spelt out in different clauses are in profound conflict with each other. Closely examined, it exhibits discrepancies between the areas of women's rights and cultural rights. The urban-rural dichotomy creates potential for conflict as regards gender issues, within the same ethno-linguistic groups, in this case isiZulu-speakers in KwaZulu-Natal. We explore whether and how traditionalist interpretations of the customary behaviour of res...