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Abstract: Submission #236

Submission Number: 236
Submission ID: 1398
Submission UUID: c78d3480-0410-4a31-ac62-a6815cc644d7
Submission URI: /2025/abstracts

Created: Mon, 06/30/2025 - 12:07
Completed: Mon, 06/30/2025 - 12:50
Changed: Fri, 08/08/2025 - 07:20

Remote IP address: 41.122.214.156
Submitted by: Anonymous
Language: English

Is draft: No
Current page: Complete
Webform: Abstract
Title Ms.
Lastname Ntuli
Firstname Shadile
eMail ntulis8@ukzn.ac.za
Mobile 0612955008
Institution University of kwazulu natal
Biosketch Shadile Ntuli is a PhD candidate at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. Her doctoral study critically explores the custom of ukuhlonipha and its role in shaping gender roles and meanings for young, married women within Zulu traditional marriages. Her academic interests lie in African feminism, gender, culture, and qualitative research methodologies, with a focus on Critical Discourse Analysis. Shadile is passionate about centering African women's lived experiences in research and advancing decolonial perspectives in social work education and practice. She has previously worked on projects involving LGBTQI+ rights and student success in higher education.
Email: 215017268@stu.ukzn.ac.za
Is there a Second Presenter? Yes
Title Dr.
Lastname Ngcobo
Firstname Nolwazi
eMail ngcobon@ukzn.ac.za
Mobile 031-260-2430
Institution University of KwaZulu-Natal
Biosketch Dr. Nolwazi Ngcobo is a lecturer in the Discipline of Social Work at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. Her research interests include gender and sexuality, marriage and culture, professional social work practice, and the intersection of gender, HIV/AIDS, and violence in contemporary society. She is passionate about exploring how cultural and gendered identities shape personal and social experiences, particularly within African contexts. Dr. Ngcobo is committed to advancing socially responsive research and practice that addresses the complexities of gendered inequalities. Her work contributes to the development of culturally grounded, ethical, and transformative approaches in social work education and intervention.
Email: ngcobon@ukzn.ac.za
Is there a Third Presenter? No
Title of Presentatation Challenging and Reinforcing Gender Roles through Ukuhlonipha: Exploring the Agency of Young Married Women in Zulu Traditional Marriages
Theme Selection THEME 5: Feminist Perspectives and Environmental Justice
Subtheme FIVE Selection Sub 5.2 Feminist approaches to green social work.
Select your Presentation Type Oral Presentation
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.
Title Dr
Firstname Mildred
Lastname Mushunje
Does the Abstract fit the selected Theme? Somewhat
What Area does this Abstract Focus on? Empirical Research
Status Accepted
Title Dr
Firstname Marinei
Lastname Herselman
Does the Abstract fit the selected Theme? Yes
What Area does this Abstract Focus on? Empirical Research
Status Accepted
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