future, such as ngozi (an avenging spirit). It emerged also that 41 (25%) of women respondents were afraid of the “unknown”, if they registered children in their maiden names. Social issues that emerged during the research and which affected birth registration of children had to do with cases involving remarriages. After a remarriage or at the birth of an illegitimate child a father sometimes denies paternity or responsibility of his children and becomes reluctant to play his role in registration the children (Favard v Favard; Douglas v Meyers). He may also make it difficult for his new wife to get in contact with her former husband for purposes of registering her children. Similarly, after a remarriage a wife may make it very difficult for the husband to communicate with his former wife for purposes of obtaining birth certificates for his children. 4.6 Gender considerations that affect or influence birth registration In the research, gender did not seem to play a noteworthy role when families considered the registration of children. Section 12 of BDRA states that a father cannot register a child in his own name unless there is a joint request to do so with the mother. However, some men argued that it must not be made to be so difficult for them to register children in their names in the absence of a joint request with the mother, for example, in cases where the mother is dead or has abandoned the child. There was no marked difference between the numbers of boys and girls with and those without birth certificates. The challenging circumstances and issues encountered by both boys and girls were generally the same. Out of 63 school children (37 boys and 26 girls) interviewed in Hurungwe District, 29 out the 37 boy pupil respondents (78%) and 19 out 26 girl pupils (73%) did not have birth certificates. The numerical variance between boys or girls with and/or without birth certificates was the same from both Bindura and Hurungwe Districts and from the various settlement patterns. 4.7 Constraining systems and procedures in Birth Registration Some of the procedures for birth registration as provided for in the BDRA and detailed in 2.3.2 above are that it is compulsory to register any death or birth occurring in Zimbabwe for any person whose birth occurs after 20 June 1986. Section 11 gives responsibility and duty on persons to give notice of the birth or still birth of a child. In cases where the parents of child are alive, the responsibility falls upon them. In cases where both parents are dead or are unable to register their child by virtue of some inability, then the prescribed persons should register the child. The BDRA enables the re-registration of a person born out of wedlock upon presentation of evidence that this person should be regarded as having been born in wedlock. Section 25(1) reads as follows "no birth, stillbirth or death which occurs after the 20th June 1986 shall be registered after the expiry of Birth Registration Research Report/2007 37