Religious Education and Pluralism in Zambia

Nurse-Midwives' Attitudes towards Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health Needs in Kenya and Zambia

“…These are indicative expressions of support for sexual abstinence before marriage and ''proper'' sexual behaviour, with roots in both culture and religion. 3,4,8 Nonetheless, nurse-midwives also showed a rather pragmatic attitude towards adolescent sexual and reproductive health problems, since a majority approved of contraceptive use by sexually active girls and were prepared to counsel boys on condom use.…”

“…Although most adolescents say they disapprove of premarital sex, since it is considered sinful, many of them are sexually active due to being in love and wishing to experiment. 8 In Kenya, the median age at first sexual intercourse is 17 years for both boys and girls; 9 in Zambia, for boys the median age is 18 years and for girls 17 years. 10 Poverty is another reason why girls engage in premarital sex.…”

‘These religions are no good – they’re nothing but idol worship’: mis/representation of religion in Religious Education at school in Malawi and Ghana

“…Post-confessional scholarship in RE places greater emphasis on the need for the contemporary classroom to take account of religious diversity and where the learning environment helps learners not only recognize the religious 'other', or none, but also ask critical questions (Conroy et al 2013;Ter Avest et al 2008). Following the unprecedented political developments towards democratisation from the 1990s onwards and other push-factors such as immigration, pluralisation and liberal educational policies, to date, research in RE in sub-Saharan Africa has mainly focused on the different ways countries (e.g., Ghana, Malawi, Botswana, Kenya, Botswana, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Uganda and South Africa) have reformed the RE curriculum (see Matemba 2005;Addai-Mununkum 2014;Ndlovu 2014;Carmody 2003;Mwesigwa 2009;Kasomo 2011;Chidester 2003;Bayim 2015). Extant scholarship in sub-Saharan Africa has highlighted not only important nuances from country to country but also the extent to which policy-borrowing has been a common feature of these reforms.…”

Religious Affiliation and Under-Five Mortality in Mozambique

“…As organised religion continues to wield enormous influence in everyday life in sub-Saharan Africa (Carmody, 2003; Gyimah et al , 2006; Trinitapoli, 2006; Gallup International, 2010) and child mortality in the region remains the highest in the world (WHO, 2011), efforts to improve child survival in the region need to consider the role of religion. The present case study of Mozambique illustrates the need for a better understanding of the role of religious groups’ organisational characteristics and of their position vis-à-vis the health sector.…”

“…Thus, a multi-country survey conducted at the end of the last century showed that in West Africa about 99% of respondents belonged to a religious denomination and 82% attended religious services regularly (Gallup International, 2010). In East and Southern Africa the levels of religious involvement are similarly high: approximately 92% reported to belong to a religious congregation in Malawi (Trinitapoli, 2006), about 70% belonged to a Christian denomination in Zambia (Carmody, 2003) and in South Africa, about 90% of the black population identified themselves with a Christian church (Garner, 2000). …”