The Village Where Men Are Banned
August 20, 2015 5:49 AM   Subscribe

The Village Where Men Are Banned (and accompanying photos). Julie Bindel at the Guardian writes about the Kenyan village of Umoja, where for 25 years, since the village was founded by survivors of sexual assault, only women and their children have lived.
posted by Stacey (15 comments total) 27 users marked this as a favorite
 
I liked the photographs especially, and I hope their community continues to succeed and grow.

It seems like there are fewer and fewer gender divided spaces all the time -- many countries have women in the armed forces, and religious orders like monks and nuns are in steep decline. There are a lot of positives to that, but I am a bit surprised also.
posted by Dip Flash at 6:12 AM on August 20, 2015


“This is a village of women who live alone, who are not married –some of them are rape victims, some are child marriage cases. They think they are living without men, but that is not possible.

“Many of them end up with babies,” continues Samuel, tapping his spear to emphasise his point, “because they meet men in the towns and get seduced by them, and men come here in the nights and go into their huts. Nobody else sees them.” The men all laugh.


Riiight. No way the women could be specifically seeking out sex for pleasure or children without having to particulate in a system where rape is considered, at best, an "accident." Unimaginable! No, the men are seducing the foolish women.

These dudes laughing at the women while seemingly pretty ignorant to what's really happening is kind of enjoyable to me.

Good on these women. Thanks for sharing.
posted by Solon and Thanks at 6:32 AM on August 20, 2015 [8 favorites]


What happens to their sons?
posted by Jacqueline at 6:46 AM on August 20, 2015 [4 favorites]


If they're happy, I'm happy.

Good on/for them.
posted by RolandOfEld at 7:15 AM on August 20, 2015


What happens to their sons?

Judging by the pictures and this article, children raised in the village are allowed to stay (unless, presumably, they break the village laws):
Residents are required to wear the traditional clothes and intricate beadwork jewelry of their people at all times, in order to preserve and promote their cultural heritage. The practice of female genital mutilation is not permitted. And the only males allowed to sleep in the village are those who have been raised there as children.

One of the most striking aspects of Umoja is the women’s attitude towards men. In a place where men have been the root cause of so many hardships, and, in most cases, the reason the residents fled their homes, it is tempting to think that the victims want nothing more to do with them and are happy to live the rest of their lives surrounded by other women. This is not the case at all – in fact, most of the younger women in the village plan on marrying and raising families.

The difference is that they are going to do it on their own terms.

Judy, a 19-year-old resident who fled an arranged marriage to a much older, polygamous man five years ago, is planning on getting married some day. She dates – outside the confines of the village, which is not only permitted but encouraged by the older residents – and is raising a six-month-old named Ivan, who squirms and coos in her arms as she speaks. One day, she will marry and leave Umoja for her husband’s village. But, until then, she is happy here.
posted by zombieflanders at 7:25 AM on August 20, 2015 [16 favorites]


This is awesome. I'm not saying I can't see downsides-- however--- peacefully taking down the patriarchy by demanding a truly safe space for women free of men's assault and domineering is badass and one of the more peaceful means to achieve radical change for these women that they deserve. I want to make one here in the US!

It's what women's shelters should be like, long term safe living spaces that women can make their own for as long as they need or permanently if desired.
posted by xarnop at 7:34 AM on August 20, 2015 [7 favorites]


The difference is that they are going to do it on their own terms.

Nice. Isn't that all anyone wants, the freedom to determine the course of their own lives?
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 7:42 AM on August 20, 2015 [6 favorites]


Sounds like the first real-world outpost of Crone Island.
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 7:44 AM on August 20, 2015 [13 favorites]


The Umoja website has more interesting details about the village. Apparently there are at least two splinter communities, Nachami and Unity Village. Is that a sign that the Umoja political infrastructure is failing or that the desire for women-only communities is spreading?
posted by nicebookrack at 7:48 AM on August 20, 2015


It might be a reflection of the 150-people limit thing - a small village with a relatively flat leadership structure that relies on a lot of discussion and personal relationships cannot scale past a certain number of participants, so you either have to go all formal and hierarchal, or you can split into more small groups.
posted by dorothyisunderwood at 7:51 AM on August 20, 2015 [1 favorite]


Sounds like the first real-world outpost of Crone Island.

Nope! In the U.S., 'landykes' are definitely still a thing, but sisters have been doing it for themselves for decades, if not centuries -- they just tend to do it entirely under the radar because otherwise men tend to try to hurt them. Most of the women's lands I know about are 'advertised' entirely by word of mouth, never using social media or email.

Shit gets done when women are left to their own devices. It's a hell of a thing to see.
posted by divined by radio at 7:54 AM on August 20, 2015 [23 favorites]


I'm in the middle of reading through Ursula K. Le Guin's The Birthday of the World, and this reminds me pretty intensely of "The Matter of Seggri" (and to a lesser extent, "Solitude").

In those stories, the separation of men and women into their own communities comes from large-scale calamity or genetic survival predetermination. Part of Le Guin's genius is the ability to take these horrid real-world situations and turn them into things that are, for some, easier to face. And then that lets you, maybe, investigate what that means.

I'm far from glad these women have been abused. I'm glad they've made a community that works.
posted by cardioid at 9:15 AM on August 20, 2015 [4 favorites]


Precursor to that awesome all-women motorcycle gang in Mad Max, I hope.
posted by Solon and Thanks at 11:27 AM on August 20, 2015


What happens to their sons?

They get to play outside.
posted by phearlez at 12:40 PM on August 20, 2015 [3 favorites]


Wow, the old thread divined by radio links to is really jokey and defensive. This one is a lot better. I hope it's that Metafilter has changed in the intervening years and not just the absence of the word "lesbian."
posted by thetortoise at 6:04 PM on August 20, 2015


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