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Sonene Nyawo Student Number Author: Sonene Nyawo Student Number: 202500007 Title: „Sowungumuntfukenyalo‟ – “You are Now a Real Person”: A Feminist Analysis of How Women’s Identities and Personhood are Constructed by Societal Perceptions on Fertility in the Swazi Patriarchal Family 11 December 2014 University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa. i. DECLARATION Submitted in fulfilment / partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, in the Graduate Programme in the School of Religion, Philosophy and Classics, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa. I, Sonene Nyawo, declare that 1. The research reported in this thesis, except where otherwise indicated, is my original research. 2. This thesis has not been submitted for any degree or examination at any other university. 3. This thesis does not contain other persons‟ data, pictures, graphs or other information, unless specifically acknowledged as being sourced from other persons. 2 4. This thesis does not contain other persons' writing, unless specifically acknowledged as being sourced from other researchers. Where other written sources have been quoted, then: a. Their words have been re-written but the general information attributed to them has been referenced b. Where their exact words have been used, then their writing has been placed in italics and inside quotation marks, and referenced. 5. This thesis does not contain text, graphics or tables copied and pasted from the Internet, unless specifically acknowledged, and the source being detailed in the thesis and in the references sections. 3 Sonene Nyawo Student Name 11 December 2014 Date Prof Sarojini Nadar Dr Sarasvathie Reddy Name of Supervisors _______________ Signature 4 Language Editing Certification Dr Karen Buckenham PO Box 46 Bisley 3203 [email protected] 9 December 2014 RE: Confirmation of Language Editing To Whom It May Concern This letter is to confirm that Mrs Sonene Nyawo‟s PhD thesis was edited by Dr Karen Buckenham. Cordially Dr Karen Buckenham 5 ii. Dedication To my dear husband Nicholas Thandokuhle Nyawo and our three children, Owenkosi Kuriokos, Nosenzosenkosi Nicole and Yenzokuhle Oswald. 6 iii. Acknowledgements “We all have dreams. But in order to make dreams come into reality, it takes an awful lot of determination, dedication, self-discipline and effort” (by Jesse Owens)1. This dissertation stands as testament to the priceless efforts of many people who worked tirelessly to make my dream come true. I would not have succeeded to complete this study without institutional support. I am therefore greatly indebted to: The management of the University of Swaziland, Kwaluseni, where I am employed as a full-time lecturer at the Department of Theology and Religious Studies. They generously granted me leave days in the three years of study to attend PhD cohorts and conferences at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. My immediate supervisor, the Head of Theology and Religious Studies Department for her unfailing professional and social support, and her willingness to adjust my workload to accommodate my other academic commitments. The University of KwaZulu-Natal, particularly the School of Religion, Philosophy and Classics for their generous financial assistance for tuition, and also through students‟ cohorts and conferences. Such support served as a key to open the door to the realisation of my dream. There are special individuals that have walked the path with me, holding my hand from beginning to the end of this study. I am greatly indebted to: 1 Jesse Owens’ quotes. http://www.brainyquote.ccom/quotes/quote [accessed 6 December 2014]. 7 My supervisor and mentor Prof Sarojini Nadar, whose illuminating views and guidance on creative writing shaped my study to precision. Through her extensive knowledge and experience in feminism she was able to stretch my thinking capabilities beyond familiar terrains of critical engagement. Her commitment to my work, despite her tight supervision schedule gave me an inspiration to endure the task. My co-supervisor Dr Sarasvathie Reddy whose intellectual insights also shaped this study from the proposal stage during cohort sessions to its final writing phase of the study. Her words of encouragement even when I was overwhelmed by work pressure inspired me to spend sleepless nights working on this dissertation. Both my supervisors went beyond their supervision obligation to passionately and sincerely devote unlimited time to my personal needs, and that motivated me to forge forward. Their words of encouragement that, “Sonene you must walk the stage April next year”, kept ringing in my ears even in the dead silent nights when I was alone in my study room writing this dissertation. Dr Karen Buckenham who edited my work with diligence. My husband Nick, partner, friend and spiritual father who has been my pillar of strength over the three years of study. His outstanding physical and spiritual support replenished my strength to go an extra mile even when I felt exhausted and discouraged. Our three children Owenkosi, Nosenzosenkosi and Yenzokuhle who gave me the space to focus on my work and they endured my conspicuous absence in their lives whilst I pursued my studies. My fellow church members at Evangelical Church Matsapha for their prayers and words of encouragement. They always see the best in me even when I am at my lowest point. 8 The study brought women at the center of the inquiry, making them „knowers‟ whose invaluable insights enriched the study as they shared their life experiences. I therefore give my special sincere thanks to all the women participants for their time and sacrifice. I‟m grateful for their trust and confidence in me that they could open their „doors‟ so that I could „enter‟ their world as they shared their personal life stories without reservations. I cannot leave out the male participants in one of the focus group discussions who willingly shared their views on a subject that others would probably label „a woman‟s thing.‟ Other than the participants of the study, I owe a debt of gratitude to my colleagues in the Department of Theology and Religious Studies, Dr Patrick Mkhonta, Cebsile Mkhwanazi- Dlamini, Nok‟thula Vilakati, Gciniwe Nsibande, Nok‟phila Thabede, Gugu Tsabedze, Khetsiwe Malaza, Amos Mwambe, Mpendulo Mkhonta and Muzi Maseko for their assistance and support in many different ways. All praises and greatest acknowledgement go to my Creator God who sustained my health until I concluded my research journey, marking the realisation of my dream. 9 iv. Map of Swaziland 10 v. List of tables Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Table 1 Table 1 Table 1 Table 1 Key Participants. Distribution of Key Individual Women Distribution of Participants by age. Participants. participants by Age. Table 2 Table 2 Table 2 Table 2 Focus Group Discussion Distribution of Women Participants in Distribution of Participants. Participants by number the Focus Group Participants by number of their Children. Discussions. of Children. Table 3 Table 3 Table 3 Second Focus Group Distribution of Distribution of Discussion Participants. Participants by sex of Participants by sex of their Children their Children. Table 4 Table 4 Distribution of the Distribution of Participants by Participants by Education. Education. Table 5 Table 5 Distribution of Distribution of Participants by Marital Participants by Marital Status. Status. Table 6 Table 6 Distribution of Distribution of Participants by Participants by Location. Location. Table 7a and Table 7b Summary Tables on Responses. 11 vi. List of Acronyms AWEPON African Women's Economic Policy Network CEDAW Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women FGD Focus Group Discussion GEMSA Gender and Media Southern Africa IRF International Religious Freedom MDGs Millennium Development Goals NERCOM National Education Review Commission OSSREA Organisation for Social Science Research in Eastern and Southern Africa SADC Southern African Development Community SCOGWA Swaziland Committee on Gender and Women Affairs SGCSE Swaziland General Certificate to Secondary Education SWAGAA Swaziland Action Group Against Abuse UNICEF United Nations Children‟s Fund UNISWA University of Swaziland WLSA Women and Law in Southern Africa GDP Gross Domestic Product AEO African Economic Outlook 12 WHO World Health Organisation 13 vii. List of Appendices 1. A copy of Research Guide - Appendix 1 2. Participation Request and Letter of Informed consent – Appendix 2 3. Letter of Ethical Clearance – University of KwaZulu Natal – Appendix 3 14 Abstract This study postulates that in Swaziland, socio-cultural religious constructions are embedded in patriarchal structures and systems that uphold and reinforce inequalities between women and men. Conventional values, attitudes and practices are held firmly in intrafamilial relations to ensure continuity of unequal gender constructs. Shaped by this patriarchal worldview, Swazi society places a high value on childbearing as a means to perpetuate the bloodline of the father, and for social cohesion. Hence, a woman is only “umuntfu”, a “real” person through her reproductive abilities. Framed within an exploratory and critical feminist research paradigm, the purpose of this qualitative study was therefore to ascertain the relationship between fertility and socio-cultural religious constructions of Swazi women‟s personhood. Data were produced from primary sources employing qualitative methodology of interviews and focus group discussions. Through in-depth interviews with
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