1.3: Women in West Africa

Daily Lives

West African society was often matrilineal, particularly among the smaller kingdoms and tribal villages along the rivers. Women wielded authority over land, household, and village life and were the primary agriculturalists, tending crops such as yams, rice, sorghum, and millet, as well as livestock and herb gardens, and they traded these items among neighboring villages as well as along the rivers and north to the kingdoms of Ghana and Mali. They were the caregivers to children and oversaw servants and slaves, who were considered members of the household and were treated as such. While West Africans did have several written languages, history was also kept orally and women were typically the keepers of both secular and sacred history and stories. The tribe and clan were the most important aspects of social life rather than “nuclear” family and these ties were strengthened through marriage. Social and political authority within most West African societies was based upon age, with elders, irrespective of gender, holding the most power and respect within the family, tribe, clan, and village.

In the larger kingdoms to the north, like Mali, Islam was the predominant religion and therefore these communities were more patriarchal than their counterparts to the south. Women still had authority over their households and families, but they often did not engage trade or other economic pursuits in their own right. Polygamy was and is allowed under Islamic law, but has never been widely practiced except within elite families. In these cases, a West African woman may share a husband with as many as three other women but would typically have her own household. The practice of veiling was less common in West Africa than Southwest Asia, although most women covered their heads when in public and were chaperoned by a male relative. Life in empires like Mali combined traditional West African ideas about women with the newer ones introduced by Islam.

Politics and Government

Whether governing the village or the kingdom, women had a voice in political decision making alongside men. Within smaller communities along the rivers, elders typically governed the village, regardless of they were male or female. Therefore women could be “chiefs” if they were the eldest in the community. As some of these villages expanded their authority, women continued to be political leaders and warriors, often alongside men in what is best described as a dual chieftainship.

The larger kingdoms between the rivers and the Sahara were far more patriarchal, although a queen often ruled together with her husband, the king, or in his stead if he left the kingdom. Many of these larger kingdoms followed Islam, which meant that women’s public lives were more limited than those of women who lived to the south. However, they were still afforded an education and protection under Islamic law.

Sacred Spaces

West African women’s authority and role within religion depended greatly on where she lived. As mentioned above, the Kingdom of Mali followed Islam, and although other religions were tolerated, Islamic law limited women in public spaces. Women could attend school and the university at Timbuktu, but they were segregated from men. The same occurred in the mosque, where women had separate entrances and spaces for cleansing and prayer.

In the villages and smaller kingdoms along the rivers south of Mali, religious beliefs were quite different and women held more authority in religious life. Most west Africans, except Muslims, were polytheistic, believing in many gods and goddesses. Women were often priestesses, oracles, and other spiritual leaders within their respective communities. They oversaw the processes of life, from childbirth to death, as well as honoring ancestors, because women were viewed as having a sacred connection to the spirit world that was sought during these important milestones. Coming of age ceremonies for girls involved special clothing, jewelry, and hair styles, as well as adornments for the hair, all produced by the women of her clan. The young girl was taken aside by the women of her clan to learn about being a woman, including sex and how to “navigate” her husband, then she was usually physically tested, prayed over or asked to be blessed by the gods in her new role, then she was recognized by the community as a woman. Each community had their own unique coming of age ceremony marking when a girl became a woman, with variations on the aforementioned practices. However, women in West Africa were leaders in the religious life of their communities and were valued equally to men.

Conclusion

West Africa was and is a very diverse place, home to many languages, religions, cultures, economies, and political systems. The roles that women played within this wide variety of communities could differ greatly from one another, but in general, women were respected and honored for their contributions to their respective communities. Large regions, such as the Kingdom of Mali, were usually patriarchal and often followed Islam, which is within the Judeo-Christian tradition. Women’s role in public spaces was more limited than in the smaller communities further south, but they still had access to education and managed their households. Further south, along the rivers that lead to the Atlantic, women often led their communities as elders, priestesses, or other positions of authority. They also kept the culture and history of their people, passing them down from generation to generation through the arts and oral traditions. The respect that West African women held in Africa would be completed upended upon their arrival to the Americas.

Question to Consider

What similarities do you find among Indigenous American, European, and West African women prior to colonization? In what ways are they different?