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Landless and “Childless” in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo: High School Students’ Perceptions of Gendered Constitutional Rights

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2024

Maroyi Mulumeoderhwa
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Abstract

This study draws on a qualitative study to examine, using the attitudes of high school male and female students, the possibilities for change in current practices concerning women's rights to inherit property and to take the custody of children in the event of divorce. The results show that male participants view their sisters as temporary residents in the family, and believe her inheritance may benefit her husband and her children who do not belong to her father's clan. Therefore, they strongly contest her inheritance right. However, a minority of boys were receptive to certain notions of women's rights and quite ambivalent about the gender status quo. Female participants, on the other hand, perceived the customary laws and patrilineal attitudes as a hindrance for women and girls to claim their inheritance's rights although the Congolese Family Code grants them such a right. Although the law grants both husband and wife this right, socio-cultural norms and customary law render women victims of violence. Both male and female participants also mentioned that in case of divorce, women are denied child custody.

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Articles
Information
Law & Society Review , Volume 52 , Issue 4 , December 2018 , pp. 1026 - 1059
Copyright
© 2018 Law and Society Association.

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Footnotes

The author would like to thank participants for enabling valuable insights into focus group discussions and interviews. Many thanks to Professors Andre Keet, Geoff Harris and the journal's anonymous reviewers for their comments on this article.

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