‘The backbone of the village’: gender, development, and traditional authority in rural Zanzibar

Dean, Erin

doi:10.1080/02589001.2012.756618

Cited by 5 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 32 publications

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“…Most of the households were men-headed and had higher representation and participation in public arenas. Overall, society in this context has been considered traditional by a number of scholars (Tobisson, 2013) and traditional systems can survive parallel to modern structures (for example political organizations) (Dean, 2013). In Zanzibar, women's and men's separate beaches are still found; women pray in separate places in the Mosques, and they are separated in ceremonies and rituals (Dean, 2013).…”

Section: Local Context and General Features Of Climate Change In Zanz...mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Overall, society in this context has been considered traditional by a number of scholars (Tobisson, 2013) and traditional systems can survive parallel to modern structures (for example political organizations) (Dean, 2013). In Zanzibar, women's and men's separate beaches are still found; women pray in separate places in the Mosques, and they are separated in ceremonies and rituals (Dean, 2013). Moreover, the use of the coastal space and the activities performed is also highly gender-segregated (Dean, 2013;de la Torre-Castro et al, 2017).…”

Section: Local Context and General Features Of Climate Change In Zanz...mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In Zanzibar, women's and men's separate beaches are still found; women pray in separate places in the Mosques, and they are separated in ceremonies and rituals (Dean, 2013). Moreover, the use of the coastal space and the activities performed is also highly gender-segregated (Dean, 2013;de la Torre-Castro et al, 2017). A majority of studies on adaptive capacity in the Western Indian Ocean, which includes Zanzibar, address men (e.g.…”

Section: Local Context and General Features Of Climate Change In Zanz...mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Women and adaptive capacity to climate change in East African seascapes – Zanzibar as an example

Torre‐Castro

Lindström²,

Jiddawi³

et al. 2022

Front. Mar. Sci.

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As the climate crisis persists, there is a crucial need to increase knowledge on adaptive capacity and the underlying factors building it. This is particularly important for disadvantaged groups, such as coastal women in East Africa. Women’s livelihoods in these seascapes are and will be more severely affected by climate change and the capacity of East African states to deal with these challenges is limited in terms of financial and human capital. In this research, we investigated the underlying factors building the adaptive capacity of coastal women in Zanzibar (Unguja Island), Tanzania. Coastal women (N=117) were interviewed in villages around the island to gather information about potential factors supporting adaptive capacity. This was analysed applying Cinner et al (2018) five domains typology for adaptive capacity, i.e. assets, flexibility, organizations, learning and agency. The results show that women had relatively low adaptive capacity, extended poverty and very high dependence on seaweed farming of red algae, a livelihood providing low income and already being seriously affected by climate variability and change. Women’s observations of key variables related to environmental changes corresponded to most scientific findings. It was, however, unclear how that knowledge is useful and enhances adaptive capacity. Adaptive capacity was generally low but individual differences were found in which ten women had a high income. The results show that the factors underlying adaptive capacity are complex and interact with each other, being positive, negative and unclear. Many of the identified factors deserve future research. This study adds to the pool of knowledge by addressing women (not only men); coastal ecosystems (as land and freshwater systems are more studied) and the individual level (since most studies focus on national and community levels). The study illustrates that institutional renewal, bridging and cooperation is possible in Zanzibar bringing good news to the region.

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Section: Local Context and General Features Of Climate Change In Zanz...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Local Context and General Features Of Climate Change In Zanz...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Local Context and General Features Of Climate Change In Zanz...mentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Women and adaptive capacity to climate change in East African seascapes – Zanzibar as an example

Torre‐Castro

Lindström²,

Jiddawi³

et al. 2022

Front. Mar. Sci.

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“…These distinctions between women and men extend to the authority positions in the village. Women do not hold the most visible positions of leadership, either as sheha (chief) or on the baraza la mji (village council), although they are able to exercise power through the hirimu age set system (Dean ). This has not historically been the case, however.…”

Section: Gendered Spaces Of Jongowementioning

confidence: 99%

Contested Ecologies: Gender, Genies, and Agricultural Knowledge in Zanzibar

Dean

2013

Culture Agric Food & Envi

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In the village of Jongowe in the Zanzibar archipelago, women are the guardians of extensive agricultural knowledge. Yet male authority circumscribes this feminine sphere in the form of ritual and scientific "experts." Annual planting is dependent on the advice and goodwill of genies, spiritual beings who are ritually summoned, celebrated in song and dance (ngoma), and formally consulted by elder male ritual leaders. At the same time, a male government extension agent has introduced agricultural extension programs that bring new planting calendars, farming techniques, and seed varieties to the village. Through these male ritual and scientific authority figures, ecological knowledge in the village is controlled, classified, and contested. However, recent challenges to local land use have cast new light on the ordering of agricultural knowledge. I suggest that although the control of knowledge and resources in Jongowe may be most obviously understood through an idiom of gender, the most important epistemological distinctions in this community may lie elsewhere. [traditional knowledge, agriculture, gender, ngoma, Zanzibar] bs_bs_banner Culture, Agriculture, Food and Environment Vol. 35, Issue 2 pp. 102-111, ISSN 2153-9553, eISSN 2153-9561.

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Zanzibar in the Tanzania Union

Cameron

2018

Secessionism in African Politics

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‘The backbone of the village’: gender, development, and traditional authority in rural Zanzibar

Cited by 5 publications

References 32 publications

Women and adaptive capacity to climate change in East African seascapes – Zanzibar as an example

Women and adaptive capacity to climate change in East African seascapes – Zanzibar as an example

Contested Ecologies: Gender, Genies, and Agricultural Knowledge in Zanzibar

Zanzibar in the Tanzania Union

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