7 - Perhaps matriarchal societies are the key to success?
I came across this video on YouTube about a village called Umoja, in the northern foothills of Kenya. It is 30 years old and run by a woman named Rebecca Lolosoli; men are forbidden from entry. For 500 years, Samburu women have lived under strict patriarchy, and the women of Umoja have had enough! The village and its surrounding matriarchal societies came about as a result of the abuse, forced marriages and female genital mutilation that women in this part of Kenya endure. While it is not directly linked to water, it does shed light on the ways in which women can provide the key to their own developmental success. The villages have provided women with financial autonomy – they run jewellery businesses, and built a school – as well as freedom and safety. The video slightly links to my next post, which will talk about water and sanitation, and the disparate struggles that women face in accessing the basic right.
I think this style of posts are something that all blogs can benefit from. Sometimes we all get carried away in the meat of the argument. But its also very useful to look at things that look interesting or things that are useful (even if they aren't directly related to the topic). A lot of us forget that a blog should be a reflection of persons thoughts and ideas in a given moment, almost like a notebook. So keep this great work up and keep showing us what truly intrigues you!
ReplyDeleteKeep up the great work
Thank you Nasir! I'm glad you enjoyed the diversion! I felt fascinated and empowered in seeing a group of women rise up against the system and take ownership of their lives
DeleteI found this post refreshing as you did not directly force its relationship to water as many people would. instead you embraced that it was not directly related to water and instead demonstrated in other ways how it is important to the wider arching themes in your blog. I personally think that you did a great job of this, I found this post very informative and enhancing of my understanding throughout the rest of the blog. A great post!
ReplyDeleteThank you Konstantine! I'm happy to hear you also enjoyed this blog post!
DeleteI thought I had previously commented on this blog quite some time ago when I first saw it but it seems not to be showing! I'm really sorry about that if it didn't send... Alas, this blog post was really superb. You demonstrate you have researched beyond your direct topic which is really great to see and I can even feel your enthusiasm and genuine interest throughout! And also your want to share this with us! I thought this blog was so apt and the concept (and reality) of Umoja was so significant, this piece actually inspired one of my blog pieces (that I of course gave you credit for!). So I really thank you for sharing this piece and using your platform to raise the important voices of these women.
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