The Gender Dilemmas of Kupindira Among the Ndau People of South-Eastern Zimbabwe

Abstract

This article problematises gender and ethical issues surrounding kupindira, as an infertility management measure, among the Ndau of south-eastern Zimbabwe. This phenomenological qualitative study utilised interviews and observations to collect data from 20 participants who comprised both the old and the young, male and female. Some of the findings revealed that while the kupindira practice saves marriages, it promotes gender inequalities and is characterised by ethical dilemmas. Using cultural hermeneutics, the article concludes that while kupindira forms part of Ndau traditions on infertility, it must be reconstructed to make it a safe practice for human flourishing.