ABSTRACT:
The debate on HIV and AIDS has attracted necessary attention in all facets of Zimbabwean life. Today, the assumption is that all people, men and women, understand the urgent need to openly discuss and negotiate the need for safe sex, whichever way necessary, for the preservation of life and the integrity of families. Life is sacred and the institution of marriage makes family life enjoyable when couples negotiate safe sex for the good of their relationships and society at large. Unfortunately the status of Zimbabwean women is still in a sad state due to the prevalence of masculinist and patriarchal norms that negatively portray Zimbabwean women as subordinates and men as dominating all aspects of life. This portrayal of men and women does not end in the public sphere but is also found in the private sphere where men decide what is good for their partners in relation to safe sex. Even though seminars, programmes, conferences, electronic and print media have made people aware of HIV and AIDS, the cultural barriers supported by traditional African religions and Christian religious beliefs have taken women hostage, making them vulnerable to Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs), HIV and AIDS. This article looks at Shona cultural and spiritual beliefs that promote masculinity and considers the negative impacts on the sexuality of women and, in turn, the ongoing HIV and AIDS pandemic. With the popularity of Christianity throughout Zimbabwe in mind, the article uses 1 Corinthians 7:4 (“The wife’s body does not belong to her alone but also to her husband”) as the text that can be used for the liberation and empowerment of all women in the face of HIV and AIDS.
