Dioro Cissé | February 15, 2024
News Brief
In M'peba, Mali, Imam Oumar Kodio and Pastor Jean Marie Traoré challenge traditional views and gender roles to advance gender equality. In his sermons, Imam Kodio encourages Muslim men to share in household chores, citing the Koran to emphasize the importance of supporting wives in domestic tasks. He aims to correct misconceptions that have exclusively burdened women with home responsibilities, limiting their opportunities. Similarly, Pastor Traoré teaches his Christian followers that men and women should support each other in all aspects of life, in line with Christ's teachings on mutual support. In Mali, traditional or misunderstood religious education has often confined women to domestic chores such as cooking, taking care of children, in-laws, and husbands, and other household tasks. But things may be beginning to change as more religious and community leaders encourage husbands and wives to support each other.
It’s 1:30 p.m. on a Friday in December in the village of M’peba, about 10 kilometres from the city of Ségou in Mali. As usual, Imam Oumar Kodio, dressed in white, leads the preaching session in the neighbourhood mosque. He is speaking about the well-being of the family and the role of each believer in domestic work, according to Koranic prescriptions. He says, “As Muslims, nothing prohibits a husband from helping his wife with household chores. A good believer is one who recognizes the value of his wife.”
Imam Kodio takes advantage of Friday sermons to educate his fellow Muslims about misconceptions and misinterpretations of religious texts, and local beliefs about women’s domestic role in households. He believes that these ideas keep women in a marginalized position.
In Mali, traditional or misunderstood religious education has often confined women to domestic chores such as cooking, taking care of children, in-laws, and husbands, and other household tasks. Unless they get assistance, these responsibilities consume all of women’s time, preventing them from engaging in income-generating activities and limiting their education and other types of community involvement. Meanwhile, most men limit themselves to paid activities. Imam Kodio explains, “Our religion teaches love and mutual assistance. Spouses should help each other with domestic activities for the well-being of the household.”
Jean Marie Traoré is the pastor of the Protestant church in M’peba. He says that Christian beliefs hold that women and men should complement and support each other in all situations, especially within families. He says, “We must love our wives as Christ loved the church and support them in the daily life of the household.” He teaches his followers that the Bible promotes love, equality, and mutual support in couples.
Imam Kodio says that Islam also recommends communication and mutual assistance in the household for the well-being of the family. He adds, “We must assist our wives to flourish but in the fear of God. They also have the same rights as men.” He believes that Koranic teachings on the roles of spouses must evolve with society. He states, “Today’s life is not the same as the time of the Prophet. Life is tough, and we must adapt to our times by adopting contemporary practices.” According to Imam Kodio, Muslims should help their wives with domestic work to lighten their burden. He supports his statements with passages from the Prophet’s life that favour the sharing of household tasks. He says, “The holy books teach that the Prophet supported his wives at home; we must also follow this example by distributing domestic chores.”
Lamine Haidara is the president of the husbands’ club in M’peba, established by the United Nations Population Fund to promote awareness of domestic work sharing. He says, “I am satisfied with the sermons. Today, I help my wife with cleaning or taking care of the children.”
For Imam Kodio, changing attitudes requires education. He says that it’s necessary to instill in young minds that domestic activities are not exclusively reserved for women. He adds, “In families, it’s the young girl who helps her mom prepare. Boys should also learn that they need to help with household chores. Islam does not forbid this.”
Pastor Traoré says that raising awareness, especially through the teachings of religious leaders, can enlighten communities about sharing domestic work in the household. He says, “A man who does not help his wife with domestic work adopts behaviour contrary to God’s purpose because laziness is a sin.”
Imam Kodio is pleased with the positive impact his sermons have had on men’s attitudes towards domestic work. He concludes, “We must see our wives and daughters as allies, partners, and not subjects we own. We must share domestic work with them if we want a flourishing family.”
This resource was produced through the ‘UCARE – Unpaid Care in sub-Saharan Africa‘ initiative, which aims to increase gender equality and women’s empowerment through a commitment to more just and equitable sharing of unpaid care and domestic work within the household and the family in sub-Saharan Africa. The project is implemented in partnership with Farm Radio International (FRI), UN Women, and The African Women’s Development and Communications Network (FEMNET) thanks to funding from Global Affairs Canada.
Photo: Imam Oumar Kodio in the midst of a preaching session in Mali