From minors to equals? Kalanga women and marriage legislation in post-colonial Botswana, 1966–2005

Abstract

This article examines rural Kalanga women's reactions to marriage legislation in Botswana between 1966 and 2005. This legislation, it could be argued, fails to challenge the broader inequality which exists between women and men in Botswana. This becomes even more apparent when women are identified as belonging to a minority ethnic group and are resident in rural spaces. This article discusses how modernity, tradition-custom, and the law in Botswana converge today. It aims to demonstrate how some women reacted to the abolition of marital power, with a focus on how they perceive marriage. Focusing on rural Kalanga women, the study investigates reactions to Botswana's constitution of 1966, to the marriage laws of 1967, and the 2004 Abolition of Marital Power Act. Finally, it investigates the gendered impact of these laws – as well as the complex discourses surrounding marriage and human rights – on the lived experiences of Kalanga women. The article reflects on the divergent ways in which many women negotiated their struggle for recognition within their ethnic groups – while also circumventing their inferior position as wives under Botswana law and a patriarchal system. Some women in this study preferred to support a more ‘traditional’ form of inequality within the household. While this study cannot purport to represent all Kalanga women, it does ask important questions about the Botswana gender agenda and in so doing, raises questions of both the perpetuation of patriarchy and women’s agency in Botswana.

Opsomming

Hierdie artikel bestudeer plattelandse Kalanga vroue se reaksies op huwelikswetgewing in Botswana tussen 1966 en 2005. Daar kan aangevoer word dat dié wetgewing nie daarin geslaag het om die breër ongelykheid tussen mans en vroue in Botswana uit te daag nie. Dit word selfs duideliker wanneer vroue geïdentifiseer word as lede van ’n etniese minderheidsgroep wat in die platteland woon. Hierdie artikel bespreek die wyse waarop moderniteit, tradisie en gebruike, en die wet, vandag in Botswana byeen kom. Die doel is om te wys hoe sommige vroue gereageer het op die afskaffing van huweliksmag, met ’n fokus op hul perspepsies van die huwelik. Met ’n fokus op Kalanga vroue, stel die studie ondersoek in na reaksies op Botswana se grondwet van 1966, die huwelikswette van 1967, en die Afskaffing van Huweliksmag Wet van 2004. Laastens word daar ondersoek ingestel na die geslagtelike impak van hierdie wette – sowel as die ingewikkelde diskoerse rondom die eg en menseregte – op die geleefde ervaring van Kalanga vroue. Die artikel besin oor die uiteenlopende wyses waarop vroue hul stryd om erkenning binne hul etniese groepering onderhandel het, en terselfdertyd ook hoe hulle hul minderwaardige posisie as vroulike eggenote onder beide Botswana se wetgewing en ’n patriargale orde omseil het. Sommige van die vroue in hierdie studie het verkies om ’n meer “tradisionele” vorm van ongelykheid binne die huishouding te steun. Alhoewel hierdie studie nie daarop kan aanspraak maak om om alle Kalanga vroue te verteenwoordig nie, stel dit wel belangrike vrae oor Botswana se gender agenda, en daardeur word verdere vrae gestel oor die voortsetting van die patriargie en vroue se agentskap in Botswana.