Matriarchy

When I studied Anthropology I had this teacher who told us a story from the times she lived with a people in the Sahara dessert. To them, she was not a woman. And not just by description, she really was not a woman to them. Why? She was too thin, and she worked. These people, who are a Matriarchy, live a life that circles around the women. The woman do not need to do especially much, their task is more or less to sit and get as big as possible as they are making things. The man works his butt off looking after the women and children. The women make all the important decisions. My lecturer told me she tried to prove to them she was really a women by talking about her menstruation cycles, but no, she was just not a women. When she had spent her time there studying these people, and she was to leave, she was given two gifts by the children. She had them with her to show us one day, and they were so colourful. Yes, indeed very beautiful gifts (well, at least one of them). One was a female doll that they had dressed with very pretty fabrics, stuffed it with material to make her as big as possible (symbolising wealth and wisdom), and different colour beads to mark the eyes. It was sure a very creative piece. But, where was the male doll? Oh yes, she was given one of those too. She got it out of her bag after everyone in the class curiously wondered what it would look like, and what was it? A stick. It's funny to me... The toys that these kids make themselves and often play with, both boys and girls... They make a wonderful one to represent the women, then just pick up a stick, any stick, from the groud to represent the man. It is not saying who is better than the other, just who is considered to be more important.

Anyways, not an opinion of mine, just a story (life fact amongst these people).