EVERYTHING YOU WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT GENDER ROLES IN SWAZILAND BUT WERE AFRAID TO ASK
Swaziland is a tiny, land-locked country located in South Africa. It is run as a monarchy, currently under the rule of King Mswati III. The ruler is referred to as the Ngwenyama (literally, ‘lion’), and has absolute authority over the country. The king’s mother, know as the Ndlovukati or ‘elephant’, also has a position of power. She is in charge of the rituals and rites of state, and also may rule provisionally upon the death of the king until the male heir comes of age. There are virtually no women in power in Swaziland, and women are treated as second class citizens subject to the whims of their husbands or ruler.
Swaziland is a country crippled by AIDS. The life expectancy is approximately 30 years. As 40% of the population is infected, it ranks as the highest infected country in the world. Regrettably, women are suffering the most from this crisis. 60 % of all AIDS cases in Swaziland are women, most of whom are under the age of 25. These young women are encouraged to have as many children as they can at very young ages, which destroys their already fragile health. The girls and women are often second or third wives in large families already infected with the virus. There is little hope they can escape infection, as condom usage is infrequent. According to Mary M. Kanya, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Swaziland, women do not insist on the use of condoms for fear their husbands will accuse them of promiscuity. Swazi men often blame their wives for their infected status, as it is usually the woman who receives HIV testing at the time of her first pregnancy check-up. The Swazi culture teaches girls that their husband is the most important person, and their marriages are more important than their selves. Says Ambassador Mary Kanya,
“In many societies men believe it is their prerogative to be promiscuous and women find themselves being part of a network of wives and concubines and therefore get infected with HIV, even when they have been faithful to their man. Society does not expect the women to walk out on a man because she suspects he is unfaithful. Many women and girls have persevered even though they knew they were at risk of getting HIV and AIDS.” The women know their risks, but societal pressure keeps them trapped in their unsafe marriages.
One of the things that keeps this disease spreading is pervasive misinformation. One common belief among Swazi men is that circumcision gives them an immunity to HIV. This is, of course, untrue. Men are now getting circumcised and eschewing condoms entirely, despite the protests of health officials and wives alike. Joy Magongo, a Swazi woman who’s husband married a different woman after discovering his HIV positive status, is a member of Swazis for Positive Living, a support group for infected women. "Men say, 'I've been circumcised. I don't have to wear a condom.' They get infected, and they give us HIV.
"He [my husband] was circumcised and felt he didn't have to wear a condom. When we found we had HIV after testing, he blamed me. He said, 'You brought HIV into this house.' It was because I tested first, when I was pregnant with my second child," she said. This cycle of infection and abandonment is common in Swaziland society, and as women are little more than property, their voices of concern and protest go largely unheard.
AIDS is not the only thing devaluing women in this tiny African nation. There are also traditional rituals that seal woman’s place as mere objects. The Umhlanga, or Reed Dance, is a ritual in which young girls dress in skirts and tassels symbolizing their virginity, and dance half-nude for their town and their king. It is not uncommon for the king to pick his newest bride from among their numbers. In 2004, King Mswati chose a sixteen year old Miss Teen Swaziland finalist as his twelfth wife. This occurred during Umchwasho, a ritual consisting of a series of rules to be followed for as long as years. During Umchwasho, girls under eighteen are made to wear tassels, and are forbidden from any physical contact with men. Unmarried women nineteen and over wear a different color of tassels, and are permitted limited physical contact with males. Despite this decree, King Mswati broke the rules by marrying his newest teenage bride during this period. For the crime of breaking Umchwasho, the king fined himself one cow.
Despite pandemic abuse and degradation, the women of Swaziland are beginning to demand their own rights. In August of 2008, a women's rights group led by Swaziland Positive Living for Life (SWAPOL) marched to the house of Parliament, clad all in black. This was the first time in Swazi history that women directly challenged their government. Women in this country have no voice of their own, and are expected to let the men in their lives speak for them. Prime Minister Jim Gama called the women “disrespectful”, and said “Even when women are aggrieved, according to our culture, men have to speak on their behalf.” This speaks volumes about the position of women in this androcentric society: the women may only complain to their fathers and husbands, who respect women so little they are unlikely to listen with any concern. This disregard for the basic human rights of women is likely a major contributor to the poor quality of life experienced by women in Swaziland. Until men see women as equal, and value them as humans, it is unlikely that the people of Swaziland will see an economic improvement or reduction in AIDS-related deaths.
Swaziland is a country crippled by AIDS. The life expectancy is approximately 30 years. As 40% of the population is infected, it ranks as the highest infected country in the world. Regrettably, women are suffering the most from this crisis. 60 % of all AIDS cases in Swaziland are women, most of whom are under the age of 25. These young women are encouraged to have as many children as they can at very young ages, which destroys their already fragile health. The girls and women are often second or third wives in large families already infected with the virus. There is little hope they can escape infection, as condom usage is infrequent. According to Mary M. Kanya, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Swaziland, women do not insist on the use of condoms for fear their husbands will accuse them of promiscuity. Swazi men often blame their wives for their infected status, as it is usually the woman who receives HIV testing at the time of her first pregnancy check-up. The Swazi culture teaches girls that their husband is the most important person, and their marriages are more important than their selves. Says Ambassador Mary Kanya,
“In many societies men believe it is their prerogative to be promiscuous and women find themselves being part of a network of wives and concubines and therefore get infected with HIV, even when they have been faithful to their man. Society does not expect the women to walk out on a man because she suspects he is unfaithful. Many women and girls have persevered even though they knew they were at risk of getting HIV and AIDS.” The women know their risks, but societal pressure keeps them trapped in their unsafe marriages.
One of the things that keeps this disease spreading is pervasive misinformation. One common belief among Swazi men is that circumcision gives them an immunity to HIV. This is, of course, untrue. Men are now getting circumcised and eschewing condoms entirely, despite the protests of health officials and wives alike. Joy Magongo, a Swazi woman who’s husband married a different woman after discovering his HIV positive status, is a member of Swazis for Positive Living, a support group for infected women. "Men say, 'I've been circumcised. I don't have to wear a condom.' They get infected, and they give us HIV.
"He [my husband] was circumcised and felt he didn't have to wear a condom. When we found we had HIV after testing, he blamed me. He said, 'You brought HIV into this house.' It was because I tested first, when I was pregnant with my second child," she said. This cycle of infection and abandonment is common in Swaziland society, and as women are little more than property, their voices of concern and protest go largely unheard.
AIDS is not the only thing devaluing women in this tiny African nation. There are also traditional rituals that seal woman’s place as mere objects. The Umhlanga, or Reed Dance, is a ritual in which young girls dress in skirts and tassels symbolizing their virginity, and dance half-nude for their town and their king. It is not uncommon for the king to pick his newest bride from among their numbers. In 2004, King Mswati chose a sixteen year old Miss Teen Swaziland finalist as his twelfth wife. This occurred during Umchwasho, a ritual consisting of a series of rules to be followed for as long as years. During Umchwasho, girls under eighteen are made to wear tassels, and are forbidden from any physical contact with men. Unmarried women nineteen and over wear a different color of tassels, and are permitted limited physical contact with males. Despite this decree, King Mswati broke the rules by marrying his newest teenage bride during this period. For the crime of breaking Umchwasho, the king fined himself one cow.
Despite pandemic abuse and degradation, the women of Swaziland are beginning to demand their own rights. In August of 2008, a women's rights group led by Swaziland Positive Living for Life (SWAPOL) marched to the house of Parliament, clad all in black. This was the first time in Swazi history that women directly challenged their government. Women in this country have no voice of their own, and are expected to let the men in their lives speak for them. Prime Minister Jim Gama called the women “disrespectful”, and said “Even when women are aggrieved, according to our culture, men have to speak on their behalf.” This speaks volumes about the position of women in this androcentric society: the women may only complain to their fathers and husbands, who respect women so little they are unlikely to listen with any concern. This disregard for the basic human rights of women is likely a major contributor to the poor quality of life experienced by women in Swaziland. Until men see women as equal, and value them as humans, it is unlikely that the people of Swaziland will see an economic improvement or reduction in AIDS-related deaths.