Religion, Gender, and Sustainable Development in East and Southern Africa

"Religion is messy because it is double-ledged – It promotes and impedes development, sometimes concurrently. Add gender issues and the quest for sustainable development and the complexity of human life becomes manifest. Read this volume and see if you can disentangle the messy mesh of religion, gender and sustainable development in Southern and Eastern Africa."

—Eunice Kamaara, Moi University

This volume brings to the fore the intersections of religion, gender and sustainable development in 21st century Africa from an interdisciplinary perspective. The volume explores and presents a coherent, research supported argument for the role of religion in promoting gender justice and sustainable development. Contributing authors explicate how the nexus between religion and gender can be utilized as the backdrop for achieving sustainable development in Africa, focusing on Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5, “Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.” Chapters in this volume focus on a variety of topics, including, how African Traditional Religions, Christianity (mainline, AICs, Pentecostalism), Islam, Rastafari, etc., are being used to promote SDG 5 in African countries.

Tobias Marevesa is a New Testament Senior Lecturer in the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies, under the Robert Mugabe School of Heritage and Education at the Great Zimbabwe University where he teaches New Testament Studies and New Testament Greek.

Nelly Mwale is a senior lecturer in the department of Religious Studies at the University of Zambia.

Excellent Chireshe is an Associate Professor of Religion and Gender in the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies of Great Zimbabwe University.

Ezra Chitando is a Professor in the Department of Philosophy, Religion and Ethics, University of Zimbabwe, Harare, Zimbabwe.

Sonene Nyawo is a Senior Lecturer and Head of Department in the Department of Theology and Religious Studies, Faculty of Humanities, at University of Eswatini.