Forms of Femininity at the End of a Customary Marriage

Abstract

Abstract

“My Husband Has to Stop Beating Me and I Shouldn’t Go to the Police”: Family Meetings, Patriarchal Bargains, and Marital Violence in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa

“…The research outlined in this article is part of a broader investigation into customary marriage and divorce in South Africa. During the larger research project (Himonga & Moore, 2015), family meetings were identified as the normative dispute resolution forum for settling marital disputes (see Button et al, 2016) but were often unable to find an agreeable resolution (Moore, 2015a). Given the fact that the larger study was focused on divorce, I was unable to say much about how family meetings assisted married spouses with a dispute.…”

“…The participants in the study as a whole were from low socioeconomic backgrounds as defined by education and employment status. Elsewhere, I have outlined the socioeconomic status of men and women in customary marriages in South Africa (Moore, 2015a). The sample of participants was similar in this regard, and the majority of participants did not complete secondary school, were unemployed, or were involved in low-skilled, low-paid, precarious work.…”

“…The following case involves a wife, Thando, and the husband's mother, Ngweru. As I outlined elsewhere, customary wives' relationships with other female kin members can highlight inequalities in their social position (Moore, 2015a). The case of Thando and Ngweru is a case where generational and gender differences in "acceptable marital conduct" and parental responsibility are contested.…”

“…The literature highlights how women experience patriarchy at the family level as wives are exposed to unequal power relations among extended kin, such as their co-wives (Mbatha, Moosa, & Bonthys, 2007; Moore, 2015a; Pienaar, 2003), their former husbands (Budlender, Mbgweba, Motsepe, & Williams, 2011; Griffiths, 1997), and their husbands’ families (Budlender et al, 2011; Burman, 2008; Griffiths, 1997; Moore, 2015a). Indeed, Ramphele (1989) pointed out, “the very fact of marrying into a family is at the basis of bringing the woman into a system of control that ensures the perpetuation of patriarchal family relations” (p. 401) Researchers have also highlighted the influence of traditional cultures on abuse and women’s strategies to cope with abuse (Abraham, 2002; Derne, 1994; Fernandez, 1997; Nhlapo, 2008; Ramphele & Boonzaier, 1988; Sideris, 2004).…”

“… 4. In a previous article, I detailed how customary unions were excluded from the protection afforded to civil marriages, whereas customary wives were further excluded and subordinated under the Black Administration Act which regulated customary marriages until the end of apartheid (Moore, 2015a). …”