11 July 2024
The keynote speakers at the Conceiving Change conference were Professor Rudo Gaidzanwa, a retired professor from the University of Zimbabwe and Dr Sandra Bhatasara, a lecturer at the University of Zimbabwe.
Professor Gaidzanwa delved into the multifaceted nature of reproduction, emphasising its complexity, political implications, and inherent uncertainties. She first explored biological reproduction, focusing on the significance of childbearing for Zimbabwean women. She spoke about the pressure on women to conform to a narrow definition of ‘womanhood’ which is centred on childbearing. She raised the complexities linked to assisted reproduction within a Zimbabwean context, noting that assisted reproduction faces resistance due to ideas about kinship and defining family relationships that centre around ancestral connections and blood ties.
Dr Sandra Bhatasara delivered a thought-provoking keynote address on the importance of redefining the concept of reproduction, arguing for an anthropological approach that situates reproduction at the nexus of power and politics, demonstrating how it is entangled with culturally specific ideals of gender, personhood, and morality. She called for research to challenge traditional family models and promote inclusive family formation and reproductive rights approaches. She also stressed the importance of ensuring the right to have children, not to have children, and bodily autonomy, while acknowledging the societal pressures and constraints that influence these choices.