The Opposite World

Accompanied by great laughter and many comments the Komoto Community Arts portrayed a world turned upside down – and the roles of men and women had shifted from what we normally see.

By Nchimunya Nkwengele, NewZ reporter

Here is a typical scenario of the several times gender comes into conflict with Zambian society beliefs. It is the Kamoto Community.

A community chicken run project has just been embarked upon for the benefit of everyone living there. The chickens are placed under the responsibility of Mr. Banda, a community member.

As the chickens mature Banda becomes tempted and steals one for home consumption.

His wife’s objections are turned down as he sees her just to be a woman.

When time for sale comes, the project committee realises one of the chickens is unaccounted for. The project chairlady Mrs. Daka immediately dismisses Mr. Banda from the committee for theft. He is replaced by his wife.

The Daka family

Mrs. Daka’s home has always been an example of gender sensitivity in the community but the women cannot learn from her because the set-up it too weird.

Mrs. Daka’s family believes in sharing roles and responsibilities in the house. When she has to attend to community development issues the family relieves her of domestic duties such as cooking, washing and sweeping. However, the Kamoto Community perceive the Dakas’ way of life as a taboo.

It is strange, according to them, that a woman goes to attend to other issues, leaving the domestic duties with the husband. “This woman has no manners, she has not been taught how a married African woman is supposed to behave, “ they say.

Mr. Daka is not a real man

To some, Mr. Daka has lost his authority as a man. The Dakas’ children have also become a target of ridicule. The community sees them as spoiled children, especially the girl, who is not forced to do any housework.

Mrs. Daka wants to raise a gender sensitive family.

“I want my girl child to grow up knowing that her responsibilities are not just getting married, cooking for the husband, and washing but to learn that she can actually decide what she wants to be, whether that is a doctor, pilot, miner or any other thing,” she says with support from her husband.

Days later, the second project proposal goes through, with conditions.

Donors demand for 30% women representation in the project committee.

This becomes a difficult condition to the community where most members believe that women should not stand in front of men.

This confusion goes on, as no woman is ready to go against her husband’s line of thought.

They even go ahead to condemn one of the committee members, a Mr. Nyirenda, who walks into the meeting with a child on his back, while the wife has gone for karate training, since she was selected to go for a tournament in Japan.

They judge that his behaviour is not in line with tradition – and it gets even worse, when he starts changing the baby’s nappy.

Worsening the situation, Mr. Banda, who has been dismissed for theft, withdraws his wife from the project committee.

The above scenario is typical of what goes on in various Zambian communities where gender has not yet started to be observed.

It is high time we changed the status quo, especially the relationship between men and women. Sensitisation programmes in communities have to continue to ensure the cooperation of both parties.