gender roles

In contemporary rural Uganda, women, and particularly mothers, have the primary role of running the house and all that is domestic, whereas men are supposed to be the gatherers and income earners. They are responsible for everything that can only be accessed with money such as paying school fees, buying soap, extra food, clothes etc. In traditional Ugandan culture, all of domestic and public life is shaped by manners taught and enforced by mothers, aunties, and the elderly women in the community.

Grandparents are known for spoiling their grandchildren just as in most parts of the world. Their primary role is to pass 14 on traditions through story-telling. Often during school holidays, children normally spend their holidays either working in family gardens or visiting their grandparents. Mothers and aunties prepare daughters/nieces for marriage whereas fathers prepare boys for leadership roles. During the clinic and VBS, you will see more women and elderly men. This is partly because men are often gone to work in a field or market. Hence, in the rural Buganda Kingdom, where we are going to be, you will most likely see cultural mannerisms that are very different from what you see in the United States.

Rural Uganda is much more patriarchal than the United States. Patriarchy is Greek and means “rule by fathers”. It is a social system in which the male is the primary authority figure in social organizations and takes on the central roles of political leadership. The male is the moral authority, controls property, and hold authority over women and children. Many patriarchal societies are also patrilineal, meaning property and title are inherited by the male lineage and, in some cases, female which in this case becomes the matriarch. In Buganda, bridal wealth is expected at most weddings. Historically, patriarchy has manifested itself in the social, legal, political, and economic organization of a range of different cultures. Patriarchy also has a strong influence on modern civilization, although over the past century, many cultures have moved towards a more egalitarian social system. Rural Uganda is still a patriarchal society meaning the rule of the father is paramount in every decision in the house and family. It is only paramount at the family level and not at the other spheres of society such as politics, church, business, schools etc. A few signs of patriarchy you will see in the Buganda region is women being the primary caretakers of children and not seeing many men around. You might also see women kneeling when they greet men as a sign of respect, though it is not demanded. You are not expected to kneel and you probably will not see many Kampala women do this. This is a practice that is common in villages where communities are tight and have very strong traditions, norms, and customs. Furthermore, in Buganda a mother is judged by how well-mannered the children turn out, and the fathers are judged by their ability to provide for the family including being able to pay school fees, buy clothes, build a house, and defend the family from danger.