Feliz Dia de Homem (Man's Day)! You might think it's a little strange to hear this and say to yourself that you've never heard of a "man's day" outside of Father's Day. You might question whether this is a new thing or if it's been around for awhile. You might be checking your calendar or searching the internet for any indicator that the 23rd of March is anything more than a Friday. If this is the case, you might not be very surprised when you don't find anything that confirms today as anything special around the world. However, in Mozambique today is Man's Day ...today and every Friday!
Unfortunately, any attempt to understand this fact in any sort of sensible, optimistic, or gender-equal light will be in vain. This 'holiday' is not official and no one with whom I have spoken has been able to provide a good excuse for why it exists. Men and women who are honest about it will tell you that it was imagined up by men in order to give them an excuse to drink, be out of the house, and sometimes not even return that night (interpret that as you will, sadly no interpretation is TOO open). Individuals who are less forward will attempt to tell you it is a day for men to rest after a long week of work. It is important to mention that here in Mozambique it is impossible to say that men work harder than women and that often it is the other way around...the daily work done by women around the house is back-breaking and requires more time than one can imagine in the U.S; female work here also includes manual labor (working in the field, carrying water, transporting goods) that many foreigners would assume belonged in the realm of the male workforce. Men will also mention that women actually have multiple days as well, and will go on to cite the International Women's Day, Mother's Day, and Mozambican Women's Day...still a little bit less than the 52 the men seem to have racked up for themselves.
The origins of Dia de Homem are likely diverse and may never be fully confirmed or understood, but some of the reasons for its continuing existence are visible without much digging. One of these reasons is a huge disparity between the genders when it comes to agency. Women are very much disempowered in a traditional culture in which the man is the undisputed head of the household. This is compounded by the man being seen as the main 'worker' in the household, which creates a situation of dependency and leaves women without much power in the relationship. Men are also more sexually liberated as a general rule, something that has been absorbed into the group-thought and accepted by society; many times this leads to an unsure dynamic in a relationship and is yet another reason why a wife might be reluctant to fight against undesirable aspects of a relationship where she feels, or is told she is, replaceable or just one of a few options.
Perhaps the biggest factor in this undesirable and unequal situation (because anyone will understand the injustice when you question why men get 52 holidays and women only receive one official one each year) is the "'É assim (that's the way it is)" mentality that is so prevalent here in Mozambique, and especially in the North. There is a mindset of accepting things the way they are just on the basis that they are that way and can't be changed.
This is one of the biggest things we try to change as volunteers.
Unfortunately, any attempt to understand this fact in any sort of sensible, optimistic, or gender-equal light will be in vain. This 'holiday' is not official and no one with whom I have spoken has been able to provide a good excuse for why it exists. Men and women who are honest about it will tell you that it was imagined up by men in order to give them an excuse to drink, be out of the house, and sometimes not even return that night (interpret that as you will, sadly no interpretation is TOO open). Individuals who are less forward will attempt to tell you it is a day for men to rest after a long week of work. It is important to mention that here in Mozambique it is impossible to say that men work harder than women and that often it is the other way around...the daily work done by women around the house is back-breaking and requires more time than one can imagine in the U.S; female work here also includes manual labor (working in the field, carrying water, transporting goods) that many foreigners would assume belonged in the realm of the male workforce. Men will also mention that women actually have multiple days as well, and will go on to cite the International Women's Day, Mother's Day, and Mozambican Women's Day...still a little bit less than the 52 the men seem to have racked up for themselves.
The origins of Dia de Homem are likely diverse and may never be fully confirmed or understood, but some of the reasons for its continuing existence are visible without much digging. One of these reasons is a huge disparity between the genders when it comes to agency. Women are very much disempowered in a traditional culture in which the man is the undisputed head of the household. This is compounded by the man being seen as the main 'worker' in the household, which creates a situation of dependency and leaves women without much power in the relationship. Men are also more sexually liberated as a general rule, something that has been absorbed into the group-thought and accepted by society; many times this leads to an unsure dynamic in a relationship and is yet another reason why a wife might be reluctant to fight against undesirable aspects of a relationship where she feels, or is told she is, replaceable or just one of a few options.
Perhaps the biggest factor in this undesirable and unequal situation (because anyone will understand the injustice when you question why men get 52 holidays and women only receive one official one each year) is the "'É assim (that's the way it is)" mentality that is so prevalent here in Mozambique, and especially in the North. There is a mindset of accepting things the way they are just on the basis that they are that way and can't be changed.
This is one of the biggest things we try to change as volunteers.
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| A couple children laze in the shade of a tree at the Ancuabe primary school, potentially playing hooky from the classes that are taking place less than a hundred meters away. Another disempowering factor for women is the disparity in education...the primary grades are often filled with more girls than boys, but by the time students reach secondary school, many of the girls have had to drop out to help out around the house or take care of a child that was the result of an early pregnancy. The fight for gender equality in Mozambique will be a long one and must take place on many fronts. |
