A Postcolonial Reflection on Indigenous Knowledge Systems-Based Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare: A Case of the Ndau Women in Zimbabwe

Modern healthcare is positioned at the frontier of healthcare delivery, particularly in Africa. Hence, Western perspectives and related practices have, and continue to have, an impact on African healthcare, including sexual and reproductive healthcare. The focus of this chapter is to foreground the...

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Main Author: Hlatywayo, Anniegrace Mapangisana
Format: Book chapter
Language:English
Published: Palgrave Macmillan 2022
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Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/11408/5188
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author Hlatywayo, Anniegrace Mapangisana
author_facet Hlatywayo, Anniegrace Mapangisana
author_sort Hlatywayo, Anniegrace Mapangisana
collection DSpace
description Modern healthcare is positioned at the frontier of healthcare delivery, particularly in Africa. Hence, Western perspectives and related practices have, and continue to have, an impact on African healthcare, including sexual and reproductive healthcare. The focus of this chapter is to foreground the fact that people live in diverse cultural settings which influence their knowledge systems, inclusive of reproductive, social and cultural practices and how these can be deployed to promote SDG 3, “Ensure healthy lives and promote wellbeing for all at all ages,” and SDG 5, “Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.” Framed within a postcolonial indigenous research paradigm, the chapter endeavours to illustrate the contribution of African indigenous knowledge systems on sexual and reproductive health (SRH) to women’s health as part of the SDGs. Drawing insights from the Ndau women of south-eastern Zimbabwe, the chapter adopts the phenomenological analysis approach. The lived realities of the Ndau women are used to illuminate the fact that indigenous beliefs and practices for managing sexual and reproductive health are deeply embedded in indigenous societies; hence they are considered the standard of living and well-being for the local people. The chapter also highlights how such beliefs and practices are inherent to the lifestyle of the local people constituting part of the daily survival strategies of indigenous communities. This chapter elucidates how the initiatives by Ndau women reflect the agency and centrality of African people in managing sexual and reproductive health, with the potential of contributing to SDGs 3 and 5. Emphasis is also placed on how their use of community-based knowledge systems guarantees them access to culturally and ecologically relevant, affordable and sustainable SRH services. The chapter begins by defining indigenous knowledge systems-based sexual and reproductive health (IKS-based SRH). The second section of the chapter discusses the rationale for the promotion of IKS-based SRH and its value proposition. The concluding part proffers alternative ways for preserving indigenous knowledge systems for posterity and how this can advance the achievement of SDGs 3 and 5, and others.
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spelling ir-11408-51882022-10-10T07:19:24Z A Postcolonial Reflection on Indigenous Knowledge Systems-Based Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare: A Case of the Ndau Women in Zimbabwe Hlatywayo, Anniegrace Mapangisana Indigenous knowledge systems Sustainable Development Goals 3 and 5 Sexual and reproductive health Postcolonial Ndau women Modern healthcare is positioned at the frontier of healthcare delivery, particularly in Africa. Hence, Western perspectives and related practices have, and continue to have, an impact on African healthcare, including sexual and reproductive healthcare. The focus of this chapter is to foreground the fact that people live in diverse cultural settings which influence their knowledge systems, inclusive of reproductive, social and cultural practices and how these can be deployed to promote SDG 3, “Ensure healthy lives and promote wellbeing for all at all ages,” and SDG 5, “Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.” Framed within a postcolonial indigenous research paradigm, the chapter endeavours to illustrate the contribution of African indigenous knowledge systems on sexual and reproductive health (SRH) to women’s health as part of the SDGs. Drawing insights from the Ndau women of south-eastern Zimbabwe, the chapter adopts the phenomenological analysis approach. The lived realities of the Ndau women are used to illuminate the fact that indigenous beliefs and practices for managing sexual and reproductive health are deeply embedded in indigenous societies; hence they are considered the standard of living and well-being for the local people. The chapter also highlights how such beliefs and practices are inherent to the lifestyle of the local people constituting part of the daily survival strategies of indigenous communities. This chapter elucidates how the initiatives by Ndau women reflect the agency and centrality of African people in managing sexual and reproductive health, with the potential of contributing to SDGs 3 and 5. Emphasis is also placed on how their use of community-based knowledge systems guarantees them access to culturally and ecologically relevant, affordable and sustainable SRH services. The chapter begins by defining indigenous knowledge systems-based sexual and reproductive health (IKS-based SRH). The second section of the chapter discusses the rationale for the promotion of IKS-based SRH and its value proposition. The concluding part proffers alternative ways for preserving indigenous knowledge systems for posterity and how this can advance the achievement of SDGs 3 and 5, and others. 2022-10-10T07:19:24Z 2022-10-10T07:19:24Z 2022-08-27 Book chapter Hlatywayo, A.M. (2022). A Postcolonial Reflection on Indigenous Knowledge Systems-Based Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare: A Case of the Ndau Women in Zimbabwe. In: Chirongoma, S., Manyonganise, M., Chitando, E. (eds) Religion, Women’s Health Rights, and Sustainable Development in Zimbabwe: Volume 1. Sustainable Development Goals Series. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-99922-3_2 9783030999216 978-3-030-99922-3 doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-99922-3_2 http://hdl.handle.net/11408/5188 en Religion, Women’s Health Rights, and Sustainable Development in Zimbabwe;Vol. 1;Pages 23 - 40 open Palgrave Macmillan
spellingShingle Indigenous knowledge systems
Sustainable Development Goals 3 and 5
Sexual and reproductive health
Postcolonial
Ndau women
Hlatywayo, Anniegrace Mapangisana
A Postcolonial Reflection on Indigenous Knowledge Systems-Based Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare: A Case of the Ndau Women in Zimbabwe
title A Postcolonial Reflection on Indigenous Knowledge Systems-Based Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare: A Case of the Ndau Women in Zimbabwe
title_full A Postcolonial Reflection on Indigenous Knowledge Systems-Based Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare: A Case of the Ndau Women in Zimbabwe
title_fullStr A Postcolonial Reflection on Indigenous Knowledge Systems-Based Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare: A Case of the Ndau Women in Zimbabwe
title_full_unstemmed A Postcolonial Reflection on Indigenous Knowledge Systems-Based Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare: A Case of the Ndau Women in Zimbabwe
title_short A Postcolonial Reflection on Indigenous Knowledge Systems-Based Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare: A Case of the Ndau Women in Zimbabwe
title_sort postcolonial reflection on indigenous knowledge systems-based sexual and reproductive healthcare: a case of the ndau women in zimbabwe
topic Indigenous knowledge systems
Sustainable Development Goals 3 and 5
Sexual and reproductive health
Postcolonial
Ndau women
url http://hdl.handle.net/11408/5188
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