Prison conditions and standards of health care for women and their children incarcerated in Zimbabwean prisons

Purpose The Sub Saharan (SSA) region remains at the epicentre of the HIV epidemic and disproportionately affecting women, girls and prisoners. Women in prison are a minority group and their special health needs relating to gender sensitivity, reproductive health, their children, and HIV/AIDs are frequently neglected. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative study using focus group discussions and key informant interviews explored the perspectives of women in prison, correctional officers, correctional health professionals, and non-governmental organisations around prison conditions and standards of health care whilst incarcerated in a large female prison in Zimbabwe. Narratives were transcribed and analysed using thematic analysis. Findings Three key themes emerged: ‘Sanitation and hygiene in the prison’; ‘Nutrition for women and children’ and ‘Prison based health services and health care’. Divergence or agreement across perspectives around adequate standards of sanitation, hygiene, quality and adequacy of food, special diets for those with health conditions, access to healthcare in prison and the continuum of care across incarceration and community are presented. Practical implications Understanding prison environmental cultures which shape correctional staff understanding and responsiveness to women in prison, environmental health conditions and access to healthcare is vital to improve conditions and continuum of care in Zimbabwe. Originality/value Policy and technical guidance continues to emphasise the need for research in SSA prisons to garner insight into the experiences of women and their children, with a particular emphasis on the prison environment for them, their health outcomes and healthcare continuum. Our unique study responded to this need

Dialectics and Dynamics of Religion in Theatre: Reflections on Gender and Sexuality in Selected Zimbabwean Theatrical Performances

This article problematises, contextualises and interprets the complex and dynamic relationship between Christianity and the African traditional religion as it is reflected in Zimbabwean theatre. The focus lies on the construction of images and symbols relating to gender and sexuality in two selected theatrical performances from Innocent Dube and Daniel Maphosa respectively. The analysis proceeds from the position that a performance is an ideological transaction between the performers and the audience. Three major observations emerge from the investigation. First, religious symbols, rituals and values seem to influence the construction of images of masculinities and femininities, even in plays which appear “hostile” to religion. Second, these theatrical performances are characterized by a religious dialectic in the sense that they are a hybrid of traditional African worship systems and Christian doctrines and practices. Third, such theatrical constructions of gender and sexuality reflect the apparent tension between social-political liberation and moral principles and practices which are rooted in religious doctrines and ideologies such as patriarchy. Consequently, the major question pursued in this study is: What are the implications of such theatrical constructions in feminist and other liberatory or transformational discourses? In the final analysis, it is submitted that theatrical practices can be a strategic arena to explore the complexity and dynamism of religious thought and practices in the historical context under study

Empowering Zimbabwean women prisoners’ right to health and equivalence of care in the prison system, using Forum Theatre.

Background: The HIV epidemic in the Sub Saharan (SSA) region disproportionately affects women and girls and is further concentrated amongst prisoners. Given the male dominated prison environment, women’s health needs are frequently ill resourced. This research investigated the health inequalities of Zimbabwean women prisoners. Methods: Using multi-stakeholder qualitative and theatre performance-based practice as research methodology, within an art-based research approach, we examined the extent to which prison Forum Theatre validated prior research findings, fostered dialogic communication, and fuelled discourse to generate solutions to women prisoner rights to health and equivalence of care. Results: Analysis found five themes: female vulnerabilities and rejecting the criminal identity; group solidarity against prison security protocols and rights to confidential health care; prisoner peer hierarchies and threat to well-being; challenging the prison system; and multiple perspectives beyond the performance. Conclusions Forum theatre offers an innovative medium to empower women prisoners and actualize sexual health rights based approaches in prisons in Zimbabwe, and Africa using a transformative sustainable development approach

‘Theatre of the Oppressed’: Advancing a human rights based approach to upholding health rights in a Malawian women’s prison.

Background: People in prison are entitled to the highest attainable standard of health and humane treatment. We report on a Theatre of the Oppressed (TO) performance theatre initiative used as transformative health rights initiative in a female prison in Malawi. Methods: 40 women prisoners devised a play using TO concepts that depicted health and prison situational injustices. Eight trained male prisoner actors performed these situations, to which the whole prison audience (facilitators, women prisoners, prison officials, policy makers) discussed and generated solutions (n=76). We analysed group work in devising the play, the performance itself, and follow-up discussions with women prisoners and officials, using a thematic analysis. Results: Three themes emerged; ‘poverty precluding committal and compounding lack of access to the outside world’; ‘pursuit of female dignity and sexual autonomy’, and ‘relational aesthetic/social jusitice’. Conclusions TO offers an innovative medium to advance and actualize sexual health rights based approaches in prisons