When anthropologists talk about the oldest forms of the family, they mention the period when women were in control, and were governed by a feminist system of reference that was based on the woman and not the male. dominant in all social, political and economic matters.
Musso.. the property of women
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One of the most famous matriarchal societies is the Mosu people who live on the shores of Lake Luga near Tibet.
Mosu women are the last remaining matriarchal system in China, and according to Town and countryman , there are about 40,000 women practicing Tibetan Buddhism, and their descent is traced through the women of the family.
This predominantly Buddhist culture is a magnet for tourists interested in the Moso woman-centered lifestyle.
In that society, men have a specific and clear role, which is to deal with the political aspects of society, in return, women are responsible for everything else, starting with running business, spending and raising children, and property is transferred to women only, and the grandmother is considered the most powerful person in the family, Her word is always effective.
Women live in Moso society completely freely without any restrictions, as the real ruler, she is not obliged to marry, and if she gets married, she lives in her house alone, and the children remain in the mother’s house and keep their names, and it is not necessary for men to be part of the child’s life.
Umoja..No men should approach
The village of Umoja , located in northern Kenya, allows only women to live in it and is strictly forbidden from men.
The village was founded in 1990 by 15 women who were stigmatized in their communities after being raped by British soldiers from a nearby base in Archer Post, a trading post on the border of Samburu and Izulu.
Survivors of rape by their husbands were accused of bringing shame to their families, and were driven from their homes.
Fifteen women found an empty plot of land, moved to it and named it Umoja Swahili for the unit.
Since then, the new village has turned into a haven for women, both fleeing from abusive marriage, female circumcision, and rape, even some of whose husbands died sought refuge there and found solace and home there.
6 years ago there were 47 women and 200 children living in village, according newspaper ” Guardian” The Guardian , in small huts made of wood and twigs.
Women and girls make necklaces of colored beads, which they sell outside the village and to tourists who come to visit.
After selling the jewels, they give the money to the village mothers, who then allocate the amount of food to each family based on the number of children in each house. Some of this money is also allocated to the education of the young girls.
The women spend their day working, taking care of the children and preparing meals, and in the evening they hang out in front of their huts surrounded by barbed wire to prevent the entry of male intruders, and when a man tries to sneak into the village they kick him out and inform the local police who either issue a warning or arrest the offender, depending on the number of crimes recorded. against him, and when the male child reaches the age of 18, he leaves the village.
Khasi..the youngest daughter of the head of the family
In a Khasi society, women control everything, children bear their mother’s family name, husband moves into his wife’s house, and young girls inherit their grandparents’ property.
Most Khasi live in Meghalaya, which became an independent state in 1972.
Some Khasi families also live in Bangladesh, and a large part of them live in the Indian state of Assam.
The live Khasi in extended, close-knit families or clans, and since children take their mother’s last name, daughters ensure the continuity of the clan.
Girls are free to live in or out of their grandparents’ house, except for the youngest daughter, who takes care of the property, even after her marriage, never leaves the house, takes care of her parents and eventually becomes the head of the family after her mother’s death.
The Khasi woman never joins her husband’s house, but he moves to her house and resides there, and she enjoys social mobility without any obstacles.
The family property is divided among the daughters, with the males giving a portion of it, with the youngest daughter having the largest share because she is responsible for looking after the elderly parents.
Women participate in the decision-making process within the village, and men do not even have the right to attend family gatherings.