The meaning of Adabu and Adhabu for the ‘child protection’ discourse in Zanzibar

Global child protection initiatives often fail to resonate with local cultural and religious contexts, as demonstrated by Zanzibar's resistance to bans on corporal punishment. The concepts of adabu (manners/discipline) and adhabu (punishment/chastisement) are central to understanding children's and teachers' attitudes toward discipline in primary and Qur'anic schools. Ethnographic fieldwork revealed that universalized approaches, such as 'Positive Discipline' (adabu mbadala), overlook the nuanced meanings of disciplining practices, which are tied to Zanzibari notions of personhood (utu). A government-led unit promoting 'alternative punishment' (adhabu mbadala) reflects this disconnect, with terminology mismatches (e.g., adabu vs. adhabu) highlighting broader challenges in aligning international policies with local realities. The study advocates for child protection strategies that prioritize culturally sensitive, locally grounded approaches over one-size-fits-all models.

Fay, F. (2016). The meaning of Adabu and Adhabu for the ‘child protection’ discourse in Zanzibar. SOAS. https://doi.org/10.25501/SOAS.00024139