2026-10-07T01:18:53Z https://api.figshare.com/v2/oai

oai:figshare.com:article/33716614 2026-09-29T23:50:54Z category_29623 portal_12 item_type_5 month_year_09_2026

Mateo Chitha: Beyond the “Madonna Adoption Cases”: Social Contexts of the Residency Requirement in Malawi Mateo Chitha (19303594) Family law Adoption of children residency requirement social contexts Socio-Economic Factors, Socio-Cultural Factors Malawi <p dir="ltr">Section 3(5) of the Adoption of Children Act 1949 (ACA 1949) restricts adoptions to applicants resident in Malawi. Thus, adoptions were granted to applicants strictly resident in Malawi. However, with the Madonna adoptions (2008, 2010 and 2017) orders are granted to applicants not strictly resident in Malawi. This shift highlights the legal-social dichotomy of the concept of adoption. On the one hand, the legal concept underscores the permanent termination of the child’s biological ties. On the other hand, the legal concept is alien to Malawian culture. Furthermore, social contexts are key. Hence, it is necessary to empirically investigate whether and how socio-economic and socio-cultural factors influence the interpretation and application of the residency requirement in adoption matters in Malawi. I collected data from adoption stakeholder in Malawi. Preliminary findings reveal socio-economic factors (projects and employment); socio-cultural factors (Malawian cultural familiarity); and other factors (period of stay and visit intervals).</p> 2026-09-29T23:50:54Z Image Poster 10.17608/k6.auckland.33716614.v2 https://figshare.com/articles/poster/Beyond_the_Madonna_Adoption_Cases_Social_Contexts_of_the_Residency_Requirement_in_Malawi/33716614 CC BY 4.0