The house-property complex and African social organisation

Africa ◽  
1994 ◽  
Vol 64 (3) ◽  
pp. 342-358 ◽  
Author(s):  
Regina Smith Oboler
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Family ◽  
African Cattle ◽  
Property System ◽  
Women's Participation ◽  
Inheritance System ◽  
The Status ◽  
High Level ◽  
Property Holding ◽  
Status Of Women ◽  
Property Complex

A feature of the ethnography of eastern and southern African cattle-keeping peoples is a high level of contradiction in the assessment of the status of women. Better understanding of the house-property complex, the property and inheritance system characteristic of these peoples, can resolve some seeming contradictions. In this system, all property (especially livestock) held by a polygynous family is divided and held separately by the nuclear family of each wife. Sons inherit from the property of their own mother's house rather than from a general pool of their father's property.The article analyses variations in the norms of the house-property complex from one society to another. The institution is said to be ‘highly developed’ if more cattle are allocated as house property than are retained in men's residual herds, if women's rights in their house property are thought of as inalienable, if wives have some recourse should their husbands appropriate their house property, and if rules preventing redistribution of property or bridewealth between houses are rarely violated.A frequently overlooked aspect of this property system is that it gives women well denned rights in property, despite public ideologies (often overstated, especially by male informants) that cattle belong to men. There are actually, in at least some societies, several named categories of cattle. In each category, different individuals have predominant rights. Women actively defend their interests in cattle in which their rights predominate, and manipulate those rights to gain their ends in social interaction. These points are illustrated with case material from Nandi District, Kenya.The degree to which women have some control over property is obscured both by culturally endorsed simplifications and by the ethnographic situation in which male ethnographers historically interviewed male informants about property holding. Nevertheless, clues to women's participation in property management may be found in many classic ethnographies, and are cited in the article.

Participation of Women in Panchayati Raj: A Historical Perspective

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 61-69
Author(s):  
T Sudalai Moni
Keyword(s):  
Constitutional Amendment ◽  
State Governments ◽  
Women's Participation ◽  
Participation Of Women ◽  
The Status ◽  
National Perspective ◽  
The 19Th Century ◽  
Panchayati Raj ◽  
Women In India ◽  
Status Of Women

Panchayati Raj plays a formidable role in enhancing the status of women in India during post-Independent times. In the colonial regime, women were not given adequate opportunity to involve and participate in the affairs of local bodies. However, in the 19th century, women gradually participated in the Panchayati Raj bodies when they were formally included in the electoral roll. During post-independent Era, due to the implementation of the Ashok Mehta Committee (1978) recommendation, National Perspective Plan, and 30 percent reservations seats for women in panchayats, there has been a substantial increase in women’s participation at all the levels of the Panchayati Raj bodies. Subsequently, the 72nd Amendment Bill and the 73rd amendment introduced in our parliament recommended 33 percent quotas for women. Encouraged by this, women have come forward in an ever-increasing number to join hands with the activities of Panchayat Raj Institution.Consequently, Central and State Governments encouraged women by implementing the 73rd constitutional amendment in 1993 (adding Article 243D and 243T), which also extended the privilege of seat reservation for SC/ST women in the local bodies. Due to this positive impetus, there has been a perceptible improvement in women’s participation in the last two decades. Due to unrestrained encouragement, the participation of women in Panchayati Raj is highly effective; thus, across India, more than 26 lakhs of women representatives got elected in PRI. This paper attempts to delineate the gradual growth of women’s participation in the Panchayati Raj Institution in various states in India.

scholarly journals Impacts of Gender Differences on Women’s Participation in Community Work in Abbay Chomman Woreda, Ethiopia

2019 ◽  
Vol 13 ◽  
pp. 86-118
Author(s):  
RATA B KENEA
Keyword(s):  
Economic Empowerment ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Community Work ◽  
Quantitative And Qualitative Research ◽  
Women's Participation ◽  
Participation Of Women ◽  
The Status ◽  
The Difference ◽  
The Town ◽  
Status Of Women

Though the participation of women in economic development and community work usually realized low as a whole due to various reasons, the contribution of gender in creating the difference in terms of their status even among the participatory women is untouched area. For instance, the research conducted by Atinafu Diga (2013) on assessment of economic empowerment of women the related studies entitled Assessment of economic empowerment of Women in Kolobo kebele, Abay chomman Woreda dealt with only inadequate economic empowerment problems and low participation of Women in educational leadership areas respectively as their overall findings. As a result, this study is undertaken to assess the status of women disparity to participate in community work in case of kolobo kebele, Ambo town, Oromia Regional State; Ethiopia.This study is descriptive in nature. For this particular study, both quantitative and qualitative research approach were employed. In doing this research paper, of the total population,79 samples were selected from the town selected using simple random and purposive sampling techniques. Here, 79 were responded for the 20 close-ended questions of the questionnaire and another 10 were responded for open-ended questions of the interview. To analyses the quantitative data, techniques such as tabulation, percentages, and numerical figures were employed to. On the other hand, Narration and comparative discussion were covered to analyse the qualitatively collected data.

“Innovations in Institutional Arrangements for Promoting Gender Equality at National Level”

1970 ◽  
pp. 94-95
Author(s):  
Lebanese American University
Keyword(s):  
Gender Equality ◽  
National Level ◽  
Round Table ◽  
Institutional Arrangements ◽  
The Status ◽  
High Level ◽  
Status Of Women

Commission on the Status of Women - Forty-Ninth Session28 February to 11 March 2005Summary submitted by the Chairpersons of the high-level round table

scholarly journals GOVERNANCE, WOMEN, AND THE NEW TUNISIA

2014 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 135-164
Author(s):  
Khedija Arfaoui ◽  
Jane Tchaïcha
Keyword(s):  
Political Parties ◽  
Participant Observation ◽  
Historical Narrative ◽  
Constituent Assembly ◽  
Societal Challenges ◽  
Women's Participation ◽  
Election Process ◽  
The Status ◽  
Status Of Women ◽  
The Revolution

This paper considers the important events and challenges as they per- tain to female governance in the “New Tunisia”, resulting in large part from the National Constituent Assembly (NCA) elections charged with writing a new constitution. The analysis focuses on the role women played in the election process, including women’s participation in the interim government (January 2011-November 9, 2011) and political parties. It continues with an in depth ex- amination of the debates and actions that emergedamong various factions during the first two years following the revolution, which has led to increased concern about the preservation of Tunisian women’s rights. The principal re- search question asks, “To what extend have Tunisian women been able to par- ticipate actively in shaping the new Tunisia and will this trend continue?” The study integrates several investigative approaches: historical narrative of fac- tual events, participant observation (from both researchers), interviews, and careful review of the ongoing actions and activities of women’s groups and societal challenges since October 23, 2011, which in turn, has spunconsiderable debate within Tunisian society about the status of women in the new Tunisia.

Women and Gender in Islamic Traditions

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan Berkey
Keyword(s):  
Islamic Law ◽  
Critical Factor ◽  
Women And Gender ◽  
Public Spheres ◽  
Islamic Tradition ◽  
Women's Participation ◽  
The Family ◽  
The Status ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Status Of Women

Gender was a critical factor in the Islamic tradition, especially in its law. That law was shaped by the Qur'an, the practice of Muhammad and his companions as known through hadith, the status of women in Arabia at the rise of Islam, but even more by the customs and attitudes of people living in those regions outside Arabia conquered by the early Muslim Arabs. From them, Muslims adopted practices segregating and secluding women. These practices and the misogynist attitudes behind them confirmed in Islamic law a gendered hierarchy of rights, although particular social circumstances might mitigate the full implementation of that hierarchy. Within the family women might play important, even decisive roles, although in public spheres such as politics their formal role was considerably more restricted. Interestingly, however, specifically religious spheres such as mystical devotion and education provided meaningful channels for women's participation.

Women and Drugs Revisited: Female Participation in the Cocaine Economy

1994 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 179-225 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey Fagan
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Drug Users ◽  
Drug Markets ◽  
Women's Participation ◽  
Crack Use ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Status ◽  
Drug Selling ◽  
High Concentrations ◽  
Status Of Women

Recent changes in illicit drug use and drug markets, and simultaneous changes in the social and economic contexts where drugs are bought and sold, suggest the possibility of significant shifts in women's involvement in drugs. The interaction between rapidly changing social structures and drug markets provides an explanatory framework for women's participation in the cocaine economy of New York City in the late 1980s. Data on both legal and illegal behaviors and incomes were collected through interviews with N=311 women from two northern Manhattan neighborhoods with high concentrations of crack use and selling. Women were involved extensively in both drug selling and nondrug crimes as part of diverse income strategies. Drug incomes and expenses dominated the economic lives of women in the cocaine economy. Higher incomes from drug selling were inversely related to prostitution and legal work. Prostitution, property crimes and assaults increased with the frequency of crack and cocaine use. Although women remain disadvantaged in highly gendered street networks of drug users, some women have constructed careers in illegal work that have insulated them from the exploitation that characterizes heavy cocaine and crack use. Although prostitution is a common role for many women, changes in the status of women in drug markets are evident in the relatively high incomes some achieve from selling and their diverse roles in the cocaine economy.

scholarly journals IMPACT OF SHGS ON ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT OF RURAL WOMEN OF JORHT DISTRICT OF ASSAM THROUGH SELF HELP GROUP

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (08) ◽  
pp. 837-844
Author(s):  
Sadala Rajasri ◽  
◽  
Manju Duttu Das ◽  
Sayanika Borah ◽  
◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rural Women ◽  
Nuclear Family ◽  
Simple Random Sampling ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Self Help ◽  
Asset Value ◽  
The Status ◽  
Group Members ◽  
Self Help Group ◽  
Status Of Women

The self-help group (SHG) approach is a crucial tool to eliminate poverty and improve the status of women entrepreneurship and financial support for the better means of living. The present study is a descriptive study of the SHGs. A sample of 60 SHGs consisting of 300 members have been taken to study the various aspects of the SHGs. A multistage purposive cum simple random sampling method was adopted. 54.66 per cent of the respondents belonged to middle aged group followed by 50.33 per cent having land in between 1.0 acre-4 acres, educated upto HSLC (40.33%). Small scale business like selling agrobased items was the major occupation (47 per cent) of the members of SHGs. Majority (82.00 %) of the SHGs members belonged to nuclear family followed by semi pucca (41.00 per cent), and small family (79.33 per cent). 64.09 per cent of members belonged to only one social organization, 68.67% respondents were encouraged to take loans from SHGs / Govt. fund and 70.00 per cent members were increased their asset value. The major finding of the study reported that level of income of women has increased very much after joining the group and has positive relation between income and savings of women group members in the study area.

scholarly journals Women’s Political Participation In Pakistan

2014 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 131-143
Author(s):  
Naima Tabassum Syed ◽  
Huma Tabassum
Keyword(s):  
Political Participation ◽  
Public Space ◽  
Political Institutions ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Women's Participation ◽  
The Status ◽  
History Of ◽  
Historical Trajectory ◽  
Status Of Women ◽  
Women's Political Participation

This paper intends to review and analyze varying level of women’s participation in politics at different periods of time in political history of Pakistan and its impact on the status of women in the country. First, the paper focuses on historical trajectory of women’s marginal political participation in past and recently increased representation in formal political institutions through enhanced political quotas for women introduced from national to local level. Besides the feminist motives, it also identifies the “non-feminist motives” or “competing masculine interests” working behind this increased entry of women in the male domain of political sphere. Second, it explores and compares the impacts of women’s absence from or recent presence in political institutions on different aspects of society (especially law to protect women). The basic argument is that the increased women’s participation has the potential to enlarge public space for women and give them voice in legislative appropriation. Thus, this increased participation helps in creating a relatively more egalitarian and democratic society. Finally, the paper explores future prospects of women’s political participation at different levels along with recommendations to improve state policies in this regard.

Task force on the status of women in psychology

1987 ◽  
Author(s):  
Barbara Gutek ◽  
Cheryl Travis
Keyword(s):  
Task Force ◽  
The Status ◽  
Status Of Women
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