4.2.5 Laws on Rape Education was not a factor in determining who knew what laws existed on rape in Zimbabwe as those without tertiary education displayed as fair understanding of the laws as those who had. As regards age, most of the respondents showed an understanding of the laws on rape. However a significantly lower number of those under 30 [54%] than those over 30 [82%] showed some understanding of the laws on rape. A significant number of those under 30 also showed no understanding. Whether this could be a consequence of the levels of awareness or a deliberate disengagement with and lack of interest in these issues by the younger generations is a subject of further interrogation. Although full understanding of the laws on rape was not that much different across the classes, a significantly higher number of persons in the middle class showed a partial understanding on the rape laws in Zimbabwe as compared to those in the working class, clearly articulating the different types of rape including marital rape and statutory rape. A higher number in the middle class as compared to the working class also chose not to respond. 4.3 Harmful cultural practices The study also sought to establish whether elements of culture which constitute harmful cultural practices could have a bearing on the commission of sexual crimes by making women more susceptible to rape and other forms of sexual abuse. In the study, a significantly larger number of females [54%] showed some level of understanding of harmful cultural practices than men [45 %], while an even more significant number of men [11%] said they did not know what harmful cultural practices are. The question on harmful cultural practices brought to the fore many issues; most importantly, the question made it necessary to define culture. However, clarifying what constitutes culture has been the subject of many theses. One useful definition identifies culture as “a system of interrelated values active enough to influence and condition perception, judgment, communication, and behaviour in a given society.’43 With this definition in mind it is then interesting to note the number of examples that the respondents in the study identified as harmful cultural practices. These examples point to either: 1. A general lack of understanding of what constitutes a harmful cultural practice; 2. A broad understanding of culture to include behavioural patterns; or 3. A rich understanding of culture, not limited to traditional but also religious practices. It was interesting to note that those with tertiary education [26%] and without it [29%] thought that harmful cultural practices do increase the chances of women getting rape while a majority said they did not know [68%] and [67%]. A significantly higher number of persons below the age of 30 [30%] than those over 30 [27%] agreed that there were some harmful practices such as child marriages within the communities that increased women and girls’ susceptibility to rape. However, a slightly higher number under 30 [4%] as compared to over 30 [2%] indicated that there were no harmful practices that could make women more vulnerable to rape. The majority of the people for those under 30 [66%] and for those over 30 [72%] did not know if there are harmful cultural practices that make women susceptible to rape. This could be attributed to the fact that the subject of harmful cultural practices is a controversial one with uncomfortable cultural and societal 43 Ali Amin Mazrui (1986). The Africans: A triple heritage. Boston: Little, Brown.1986, 6th Ed p. 239.