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ERIC Number: EJ975892
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2012-Mar
Pages: 22
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0886-2605
EISSN: N/A
Examining the Perceptions of Zimbabwean Women about the Domestic Violence Act
Makahamadze, Tompson; Isacco, Anthony; Chireshe, Excellent
Journal of Interpersonal Violence, v27 n4 p706-727 Mar 2012
The purpose of this study is to qualitatively examine how Christian women from Zimbabwe perceived the effectiveness of the Domestic Violence Act in preventing and responding to domestic violence. The study also aims to understand the unique social, cultural, and religious context of the participants that affect their attitudes and beliefs about this legislation. The findings of the study are based on an analysis of qualitative interviews. The women were recruited from the Roman Catholic Church (RCC); Reformed Church in Zimbabwe (RCZ); Methodist Church in Zimbabwe (MCZ); Zimbabwe Assembly of God Africa (ZAOGA), and Apostolic Faith Mission (AFM) in the Masvingo urban area. Most of the participants expressed confidence in the Act, saying that it goes a long way in curbing domestic violence. The participants who indicated lack of confidence in the Act argued that it is contrary to the teachings of their Christian denominations. The study also revealed that lack of confidence in the Act is due to lack of knowledge about the legislation. In particular, many were unaware of the fact that physical, psychological, and emotional abuse constitutes justification for a protection order that can remain in force when a protected person is living with the perpetrator. The article discusses these findings in relation to domestic violence in other cultures and countries and recommends raising awareness of the importance of this useful piece of legislation.
SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: http://sagepub.com
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Adult Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Zimbabwe
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A