Zimbabwe: Traditional practice among the Ndebele of giving a niece in customary marriage to her uncle after her aunt (her uncle's wife dies) and consequences of refusing; availability of state protection and or of moving to another part of Zimbabwe to avoid such marriage; existence of shelters and the possibility of legal action to prevent such marriage; existence of laws against such practices
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 28 May 2001 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | ZWE36892.E |
| Reference | 2 |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Zimbabwe: Traditional practice among the Ndebele of giving a niece in customary marriage to her uncle after her aunt (her uncle's wife dies) and consequences of refusing; availability of state protection and or of moving to another part of Zimbabwe to avoid such marriage; existence of shelters and the possibility of legal action to prevent such marriage; existence of laws against such practices, 28 May 2001, ZWE36892.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3df4becc0.html [accessed 26 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
Specific information on the traditional practice among the Ndebele whereby a niece is given in customary marriage to her uncle following the death of her aunt, the consequences of refusing, availability of state protection and the possibility of legal action by niece to prevent such marriage not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.
According to Country Reports 2000,
Since independence the Government has enacted major laws aimed at enhancing women's rights and countering certain traditional practices that discriminate against women. However, women remain disadvantaged in society. Illiteracy, economic dependency, and prevailing social norms prevent rural women in particular from combating societal discrimination. Despite legal prohibitions, women still are vulnerable to entrenched customary practices, including the practice of pledging a young woman to marriage with a partner not of her choosing, and the custom of forcing a widow to marry her late husband's brother (2001, Section 5).
It further states that
The Musasa Project, a women's rights organization, established the country's first shelter for victims of domestic violence in Harare in 1997; it can accommodate up to 20 women at a time. The Musasa Project provided services to an estimated 3,147 clients at its Harare office in 1999, 61 percent of whom were female victims of domestic violence; 40 percent of those who were assisted were minors, victims of rape or incest (ibid.).
Additional and/or corroborating information could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.
Reference
Country Reports on Human Rights Practices 1999-2000. 1998-2000. United States Department of State. Washington, DC.
Additional Sources Consulted
Africa Confidential [London].
Africa Contemporary Record [London].
Africa Research Bulletin [Oxford].
Country Reports on Human Rights Practices 1999-2000. 1998-2000. United States Department of State. Washington, DC: United States Printing Office.
IRB Databases. LEXIS/NEXIS
Keesing's Record World Events [Cambridge].
Resource Centre. Country File. Zimbabwe.
Two oral sources consulted did not provide the requested information.
Search engines including:
Google.
Mamma.
Internet sites including:
Africa News
IRIN
Human Rights Watch
