Pauline Mateveke – författare

This book investigates the experiences of women in Zimbabwe facing COVID-19 and gender-based violence, arguing that the insights from this extremely tough period could be used as a springboard for positive legal, cultural and policy changes.

In 2020, COVID-19 caught the world by surprise, and often the socio-cultural factors impacting the treatment and care of those infected by the virus were not fully considered. In Zimbabwe, the socially constructed role of women as caregivers left them particularly vulnerable. Not only this, but COVID-19 lockdowns coincided with particularly high levels of sexual exploitation and gender-based violence, with women again comprising the majority of victims. Authors in this book analyse the pandemic experiences of women in Zimbabwe, both in the workplace or in the home, with the hope of fostering positive cultural change, and sensitising policy-makers to the need for legislation that protects women in moments of disasters.

The important lessons and discussion points raised by this book will be important to policymakers both within Zimbabwe and beyond, and to researchers working on gender, public health, philosophy, sociology, and politics in Africa.

This book investigates the experiences of women in Zimbabwe facing COVID-19 and gender-based violence, arguing that the insights from this extremely tough period could be used as a springboard for positive legal, cultural and policy changes.

In 2020, COVID-19 caught the world by surprise, and often the socio-cultural factors impacting the treatment and care of those infected by the virus were not fully considered. In Zimbabwe, the socially constructed role of women as caregivers left them particularly vulnerable. Not only this, but COVID-19 lockdowns coincided with particularly high levels of sexual exploitation and gender-based violence, with women again comprising the majority of victims. Authors in this book analyse the pandemic experiences of women in Zimbabwe, both in the workplace or in the home, with the hope of fostering positive cultural change, and sensitising policy-makers to the need for legislation that protects women in moments of disasters.

The important lessons and discussion points raised by this book will be important to policymakers both within Zimbabwe and beyond, and to researchers working on gender, public health, philosophy, sociology, and politics in Africa.

This book is a critical reflection on the life and career of the late legendary Zimbabwean music icon, Oliver “Tuku” Mtukudzi, and his contribution towards the reconstruction of Zimbabwe, Africa and the globe at large. Mtukudzi was a musician, philosopher, and human rights activist who espoused the agenda of reconstruction in order to bring about a better world, proposing personal, cultural, political, religious and global reconstruction. With twenty original chapters, this vibrant volume examines various themes and dimensions of Mtukudzi’s distinguished life and career, notably, how his music has been a powerful vehicle for societal reconstruction and cultural rejuvenation, specifically speaking to issues of culture, human rights, governance, peacebuilding, religion and identity, humanism, gender and politics, among others. The contributors explore the art of performance in Mtukudzi’s music and acting career, and how this facilitated his reconstruction agenda, offering fresh and compelling perspectives into the role of performing artists and cultural workers such as Mtukudzi in presenting models for reconstructing the world.

The chapters in this volume are a mix ofinterdisciplinary Zimbabwean scholars of linguistics, performance studies, religion, history, communication and media studies, unravelling Mtukudzi as a fighter for human rights and justice who subtly critiqued political systems and practices. It concludes that Mtukudzi strove to be a cultural worker who used the power of language through music to contribute towards the rehabilitation of a battered African identity.