Dynamic Africa

iluvsouthernafrica:

Mozambique:

“Two Makua women of northern Mozambique in the late 19th century wearing head scarves known as lenço and wrap around cloth capulana. The ‘Paisley’ pattern worn by the woman on the left became immensely popular in eastern Africa because of its similarity to the shape of the cashew nut which symbolises wealth and fertility.

The cashew nut is a major source of income in eastern and southern Africa which is one reason why the ‘Paisley’ pattern on textiles became immensely popular because of its similarity to the shape of the cashew. From the mid-nineteenth century, printed textiles in eastern and southern Africa, where slavery was not officially abolished until 1897, were increasingly worn as a sign of proud emancipation, freedom and personal prosperity.” From: zeitgeistafrica.com

Clothing similar to these women from Zanzibar

iluvsouthernafrica:

Malawi:

Vintage photo of Chiefs from the Yao and Angoni ethnic groups, late 1930s in (then) Nyasaland

iluvsouthernafrica:

Malawi:

The Lake of Stars Project recently announced “City of Stars”, a brand new city-based festival and arts conference in Lilongwe, taking place 27 and 28 September 2013.  The festival is described as a two-day multi-venue arts festival and conference that will showcase the best in emerging and acclaimed talent from Malawi and beyond. 

Tickets will be on sale from July, with more acts, as well as the venues for the festival, being announced soon. For more info on the festival head over here.

iluvsouthernafrica:

 Lesotho court to rule on women’s rights

On 16 May, the Lesotho Constitutional Court will issue its decision on whether women in Lesotho can succeed to chieftainship. The ground-breaking case brought by Senate Masupha, the first-born child of a chief, challenged the Chieftainship Act, which only permits first-born sons to succeed to chieftainship.

“Denying all women the possibility of succeeding to chieftainship not only violates the right to equality under the Lesotho constitution but also reaffirms the notion that women are subordinate members of Lesotho society,” said Priti Patel, Deputy Director of the Southern Africa Litigation Centre (SALC), who intervened as friends of the court (amicus curiae) in the matter. “We will see tomorrow whether the court will affirm the rights of women in Lesotho or further entrench women’s secondary status.”

In its submissions, SALC argued that the law is unconstitutional under the Lesotho Constitution as well as under Lesotho’s international and regional obligations. The submissions also document how laws that discriminate against women significantly harm the government’s ability to effectively respond to Lesotho’s HIV epidemic.

This case is part of a broader trend in the region to change or repeal laws which explicitly promote gender discrimination.

The Constitutional Court in South Africa has struck down laws which deny women the right to inherit or succeed to chieftainship. In Botswana, the High Court recently struck down a customary law which denied women the right to inherit.

Courts in Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, and Tanzania have also all struck down laws which deny women the right to inherit due solely to their gender.

From: osisa.org

‘Mme Senate Masupha, you (and all qualified African women) deserve your place in African leadership and I sincerely hope the court rules in your favour.