O level Notes : FRS - Gender roles for women in Indigenous Religion
In African societies, men and women have specific roles defined by the society and in accordance with Indigenous religion.
In African societies, men and women have specific roles defined by the society and in accordance with Indigenous religion.
Gender roles for women in Indigenous Religion
(a) Household duties
African women do household chores such as cooking, sweeping, fetching firewood and water.
(b) Child bearing and nurturing
Women are responsible for bringing up children in the right path. It is them who spend most of the time with children who will in turn become closer to them. A mother’s influence dominates in the house and it is believed that good children reflect a good mother. Mothers teach their children values and ethics.
(c) Preserving culture
Aunties preserve culture of respect, honour and dignity through educating girls. It is the duty of women to shape the future of girls according to community’s expectations. Women such as aunties educate girls on their future roles.
(d) Religious roles
Some women are religious practitioners such as medicine women, spirit mediums, diviners and traditionalists. Holding such roles, they have a special role in people’s lives as they are in connection with the ancestral world. These women relay messages from the other world and are highly respected in the community. Women who are traditionalists play the role of counsellors, judges, advisors, fortune-tellers and revealers of secrets. As ancestors, women are responsible for fertility, good health and protection of the living.
(e) Source of wealth
Women are a source of wealth through dowry (lobola or roora). Women acquire property and gain income through craftwork like basketry, pottery, weaving and farming.
(f) Being submissive
Women are to be subject to their husbands. They depend on males and cannot make decisions without consulting their husbands.
(g) Ritual specialists
Women play important roles in personal rituals associated with birth, puberty and death. At childbirth, women express gratitude to God with prayers and sacrifices and at death they sing dirges to express their sorrow. Being ritual specialists, they are upholders of community norms and traditions. Some women are rain messengers and it is believed women have a special power to bring rain by appeasing the goddess of rain and fertility.Their duties include making sacrifices, offering prayers and conducting private and public rites and ceremonies.
(h) Musical role
A lot of festivals abound in Indigenous religion and there is singing and dancing by well-dressed women during festivals. Some of these festivals are in honour of the most important divinities and ancestors. Women also sing songs during various rituals and ceremonies.