Involuntary childlessness among the Shangana (Mozambique)

Abstract

Although Mozambique's infertility prevalence is one of the highest in southern Africa, there are very few studies on the subject. Anthropological research carried out from September 2001 to February 2002 in the rural area of the Magude district revealed various cultural and behavioural patterns relevant to the problem of childlessness. These patterns are related to the sexual and marital norms of polygyny and to the system of patrilineality. Patrilineal descent, polygamy and massive male labour migration to South Africa have created a contradictory mix of situations involving women and their reproductive role in society. The pressure on women to become pregnant and give birth, combined with the prolonged absence of their migrant husbands, leads them into conditions of vulnerability, which impel them to seek partners outside the marriage in order to conceive. In this context, extra‐conjugal relations constitute the main channel for STDs, which are a major cause of infertility.