“Even the NGOs Never Talk About Ufiti [Witchcraft]”: a Decolonial and Feminist Cultural Psychological Analysis of Individualized Development Clashing with Communal Ways of Being

Abstract

Conducting a multi-sited psychology study on how Malawian participants perceive Western-oriented non-governmental organizations’ (NGOs) gendered development approaches, it became apparent that perceptions of ufiti (the Malawian term for what loosely translates as witchcraft in English)—and its gendered inclination—was highly relevant. As in many parts of the world, people in Malawi may relate themselves and their social world in connection to spiritual and supernatural dimensions, manifested in practices and discourses often closely linked to communal norms and values. Many international NGOs in Malawi run individualized development initiatives, often particularly focusing on women and girls’ personal empowerment. When local communal ways of experiencing and knowing are not taken account for in the NGOs’ interventions, this indiviualized approach can spur interpersonal resentment, and in worst-case ufiti assaults. This article explores the link between individualized development incentives and perceptions of ufiti. Using decolonial and feminist cultural psychology as a lens, we ask how the individualized focus of the NGOs plays out in Malawi, and what negative and unintended consequences individualized interventions can lead to. Our results indicate the need for contextually grounded and informed development approaches, to avoid that effort to empower individual women and girls lead to their disempowerment, social disruption, and ufiti accusations and assaults. The article speaks to the need for decolonial and feminist cultural psychological approaches that consider subjective intentional worlds.

Significance of Education for Sustainable Menstrual Hygiene Management Practices: A rapid review

“…Due to the secrecy around menstruation, many women preferred disposing of pads and burning used cloth. Further research is recommended to improve the availability and manufacturing standards of high-quality reusable sanitary pads [14].…”

“…• Menstrual blood water draining from the bathroom should not be visible to neighbours/passers-by [14].…”

“…• Awareness and disposal facilities on MHM [14] and the medicinal aspect of the menstrual blood. • 62% of the girls missed school during menstruation and others did not change sanitary pads during school hours due to a lack of supportive facilities in the school [31].…”

“…• Some women took the utmost care to hide the used cloth from their own husbands. For those who used disposable pads, they took care to dispose of the pads 'safely' so that nobody else could nd them [14]. • Reusable products emit less CO2 and is less environmentally damaging [21].…”

“…The literature review revealed that studies are focused on menstrual hygiene awareness, the menstruation process, and issues concerning the disposal of menstrual pads [11] [12] [13]. The studies also revealed that massive menstrual waste generation threatens the environment [14]. The critical point highlighted is that there is limited knowledge regarding sustainable menstrual products and an urgent need to study the type of menstrual products used by women and the disposal system.…”