Women-only village in Africa under attack

[tarr]

"A group of Kenyan women who fled abusive husbands to set up their own women-only community are facing increasingly violent attacks by local men angry at their success.

Turning traditional African patriarchy on its head, 15 women established Umoja village in 1990, as a refuge after their husbands' behaviour forced them to flee their homes."

Comments

[brienf]

"Turning traditional African patriarchy on its head, 15 women established Umoja village in 1990, as a refuge after their husbands' behaviour forced them to flee their homes."

I hadn't realized that there was a single "African patriarchy." It's good to know that this paper considers one region in Kenya to be representative of an entire continent.

I'm also bothered that the British newspaper hides allegations that these women were abused by British military by including a single sentence about it in the middle of the article. It's much easier to criticize and judge people with little power (relative to the paper's writer and readers) than it is to acknowledge our complicity in the situation.

[rkt]

uh, i'm sorry you never got the memo that it 'twas the british who civilized The Africans, even if they (the British) weren't able to save them (The Africans) from The African Patriarchy.

[brienf]

Have you ever read Mary Kingsley's writings? She's a great example of the intersections of feminism*, privilege, and imperialism; she (and many of the people who write about her) will give you a headache. Hell, just look at the book cover.

* I doubt that she identified as one, but she has been claimed by some feminists since then because she didn't fit typical gendered norms. She did fit the norms of white British imperialists/explorers remarkably well, however.

[rkt]

my goal in life is to avoid headaches.

except for when i'm chasing trainwrecks

though,i won't Fully blame her for the cover.

[everwatcher]

...and to think: the situation seemed somewhat rosier only 16 entries ago. Oh, what a difference a week makes; the "troublemakers" in this crumbling situation are certainly not the Umojans.

[whorl_girl]

i think it's awesome and wonderful and inspiring that those 48 women were able to bond together and create such a thriving, peaceful community for themselves...
and i am enraged by the men who dare attack them. shit, the whole point of the village was to get away from that.
how can we help?