Proverbs as a device to justify women abuse: A case of Sesotho sa leboa in South Africa

Abstract

Proverbs in languages are used to develop good morals, values and to communicate accepted norms and beliefs especially in African societies. This paper explores some of the Sesotho sa Leboa proverbs used in cementing and fortifying male hegemony or toxic masculinities in the society. Sesotho sa Leboa like other languages have patriarchal characterisations. Male dominance and superiority are clearly visible when one bisects
proverbs that are used in the everyday lives of the speakers of this language. The purpose of this paper is to unearth the abusive nature of some proverbs used as a justification of power relations in Sesotho sa Leboa culture. The qualitative research approach was found to be relevant for this study as it enabled participant’s views in respect to identified proverbs that were analysed. Data were collected through semi structured interviews and document analysis, and subsequently analysed through Thematic Content Analysis. The results of this study show that male dominance in the Sesotho sa Leboa culture does not only trigger gender discrimination and false representation of female identities, but also manifest itself in various forms of abuse as articulated by participants through their responses. The kind of images constructed in the Sesotho sa Leboa proverbial language truly labels female gender with the negative connotations and thereby hinders women’s progress in life. The paper is significant in that it will hopefully with regard to gender equality enable the speakers of the language to critically re-visit some of the proverbs that seem to perpetuate gender stereotypes in our communities.

Keywords: Proverb, Language, Women, Abuse, Culture