Key Social Norms Take-aways This article highlights how entrenched gender norms undermine women’s sexual and reproductive health rights. Norms such as male dominance, expectations of female sexual compliance, polygamy, and wife inheritance severely restrict women’s autonomy. These norms are reinforced by cultural beliefs and practices that prioritize male authority, making it difficult for women to access and exercise reproductive health options, and increasing their exposure to risks like maternal health complications and gender-based violence.
Objectives The study aimed to explore the cultural, social, and gender-related obstacles that prevent women in Zimbabwe from asserting their reproductive health rights, particularly within the context of customary marriages.
Methods This was a qualitative study conducted in Concession, a peri-urban town in Harare, Zimbabwe. Researchers used purposive and snowball sampling to recruit 11 participants (6 women, 5 men) aged 18–45, all in customary marriages. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews focusing on themes such as gender equality, decision-making power, and challenges to reproductive autonomy. Narrative analysis was used to interpret the data, and the study was guided by Blanc’s Framework of Unequal Gender Power in Sexual and Reproductive Health.
Results The study revealed that women in customary marriages face substantial barriers to exercising reproductive autonomy. Female participants reported being unable to make decisions about when and whether to have sex, the use of contraceptives, or the number and spacing of children. Many described being compelled to engage in sex with their husbands even when unwilling, often resulting in physical pain and emotional distress. Several participants highlighted their inability to insist on safe sex practices, noting that even suggesting the use of condoms could provoke conflict or suspicion of infidelity.
Polygamous marriage arrangements emerged as a significant source of reproductive health challenges. Women reported competition among co-wives for sexual attention and childbearing, which undermined their ability to refuse sex or use family planning methods. Male participants generally rejected the idea of gender equality, expressing beliefs that men should be dominant and decision-makers in all aspects of marriage, often citing cultural and religious reasons. Wife inheritance was another culturally sanctioned practice that participants linked to increased health risks, such as exposure to HIV and lack of consent in sexual relations.
Conclusions Empowering women and addressing harmful traditional practices are essential for improving sexual and reproductive health outcomes. Interventions should target not just women but also men and communities to reshape the norms that perpetuate gender-based inequities in health decision-making.