Parents, Patriarchy and Schooling Amongst the Shona in Rural Zimbabwe

In Zimbabwe, gender inequalities, economic precarity, and entrenched patriarchal norms continue to shape girls' educational trajectories. Against this backdrop, this paper examines how parents in rural Shona communities mediate gender norms that structure what becomes possible for girls' schooling and gender-just education. Drawing on interviews and focus group discussions with parents, and informed by Afro-feminist and masculinity perspectives, we analyze how gender emerges as a contested terrain. The findings show that patriarchy is institutionalized through son preference, while the customary practice of muridzi wemusha and bridewealth consolidates masculinity. Patriarchal authority, however, is not static as women strategically negotiate customary norms, illustrating flexibility within gender hierarchies. Whilst parents view schools as places that can expand girls' educational futures, they also contest the erosion of customary norms and male authority. We argue that parent-school alliances attentive to socio-cultural practices shaping masculinity are central to advancing contextually grounded gender-just education.