Madongonda, Angeline MavisAngeline MavisMadongondaGudhlanga, Enna SukutaiEnna SukutaiGudhlanga2025-02-132025-02-132025978-3-98989-042-8https://fis.uni-bamberg.de/handle/uniba/106049Many religions are associated with the promotion of peace and protection of followers from any misdemeanors in the world. Gender-based violence (GBV) is one of the scourges that challenge this view of religions. Coming from within any religious circle, the association of gender-based violencewith religion is not only contradictory, and unacceptable but shocking. Yet, not many view this as the case when dealing with child marriages in the Johanne Marange African Apostolic Church (JMAAC). All child or forced marriages are potentially a hub for sexual assault which is a constituent of gender-based violence. Resultant pregnancies and eventual birth exacerbate this. This paper therefore seeks to interrogate gender-based violence within this church. Girl children, by their gender, are potential victims of GBV and to unearth this, structured interviews were done with participants from the church- both adult and married male and female congregants. Participants were selected using the snowballing technique. This data-gathering method was chosen to cater for most of the targeted population which is largely illiterate and secretive about its activities. Ubuntu philosophy is used in a bid to explore this unethical behaviour of GBV through child and forced marriages among the Johanne Marange Apostolic sect. It is hoped that the findings from this study will go a long way in addressing GBV from the least expected source, the church.engAfrican Initiated ChurchesChild marriagesreligionGender-based violenceintimate partner violence300bookpart