The village has become so successful that the men are jealous. Or maybe the men just resent the fact that there are 'uppity women' who thrive without oppressive male rule.
One can dream that so very many women will flock to the village that it will become successful enough for the women to mount some sort of defense against the angry patriarchs.
Electric fences might be nice.
But that's always the problem with combating patriarchy, it's just so damn hard to run far enough, or to find enough women who will run - or stand and fight - with you.
Turning traditional patriarchy on its head . .
"A group of Kenyan women who fled abusive husbands to set up their own women-only community are facing increasingly violent attacks by local men angry at their success.
"We do not have peace in the village now. These men are so angry because we have money and we do not give them any," said Rebecca Lolosoli, 43, Umoja's de facto chief and one of its founders.
"We ran away first because we were being beaten and now we are trying to change our lives, we are being beaten again because of how we are doing well."
They all fled after daily beatings from their husbands or brothers, often because they said they had been raped, some allegedly by British soldiers training nearby, and so had brought shame on their homes.
Word spread. More women arrived, their belongings on their heads, babies strapped to their backs.
"I was raped and I told my husband and he started beating me, even when I was carrying the child, so I ran away and joined these people here," said Paulina Lekuriya, a striking woman with a wide smile who guesses her age at 35. Her story is echoed by the others.
Umoja has been attacked twice in the last three months. Attempts have been made to steal the village's 10 cows.
Tradesmen in Archer's Post refuse to sell to the women, even publicly spitting in their faces. They see us laughing, and they don't want us to laugh. They say we are too proud because we have money, because we always walk proudly in the road, but I say, what is wrong with that?" said Mrs Lolosoli.
"This is now our place and we will not run from here," said Nasara Lekutas, as the women sat in the shade of a wide acacia tree quietly nodding their determined agreement. "
See the photo of Mkamasiye Lebwaketa and Paulina Lekuriya wearing the "tribal bead necklaces their ‘women-only’ village sells."
Pip at Wilson's Blogomanac has more:
"What started as a group of homeless women looking for a place of their own became a successful and happy village. About three dozen women live in Umoja, and run a cultural center and camping site for tourists visiting the adjacent Samburu National Reserve. Umoja has flourished, eventually attracting so many women seeking help that they hired men to haul firewood, traditionally women's work."
From Ms. Magazine:
This has been such a successful project that the women have enough money to send their children to school for the first time. In their previous village lives, many husbands would insist that the children help with the livestock, but these women have the money and decision-making power to choose education for their children. Some men attempted to start an all-male village close by, but the endeavor was unsuccessful.
A nod to Amanda at Pandagon who offers her own thoughts.
Tags: feminism
