Abstract: Submission #236

Abstract This presentation draws on a doctoral study that critically explores the cultural custom of ukuhlonipha and its role in shaping gender roles and meanings for young, married women within Zulu traditional marriages in KwaZulu-Natal. Anchored in African feminist theory and the framework of social constructionism, the study examines how ukuhlonipha is interpreted and practised by women in contemporary contexts, with attention to both continuity and change. Focusing on the objective to identify how young married women either challenge or re-entrench gender imbalances arising from ukuhlonipha, the paper interrogates the tensions between cultural expectations and women’s personal agency. Preliminary findings reveal that while ukuhlonipha continues to uphold patriarchal norms in many households, women are not passive subjects; rather, they negotiate and sometimes redefine its practice in ways that reflect both resistance and adaptation. The study contributes to a deeper understanding of the lived realities of Zulu women and argues for a culturally grounded yet critically engaged approach to gender equality in African contexts.