Bribri, Costa Rica
Tribal lineage and land within Talamanca’s Bribri
matriarchal clans is passed down through the mother,
and knowledge and tradition through the
grandmother. The role of the women is to nurture
and to provide for the community by channelling
the energy and life force of Mother Earth. Women
play a key part in religious rituals – only they can
prepare the sacred cacao served at ceremonies.
Zapotec, Mexico
Strong, powerful, independent Zapotec women run
Juchitán (in full, Juchitán de Zaragoza), in southern
Mexico, where respect for all is one of the culture’s
defining characteristics. The area is known for its
belief that there are three genders – male, female and
muxe, who are people born male but identify and live
as women. “In Zapotec, there are no grammatical
genders,” explained muxe Lukas Avendaño, in an
article that appeared on the BBC’s site. “There is only
one form for all people. Muxes have never been forced
to wonder if they are more man or woman.”
Women manage the finances, the homes and the
local markets, but political power rests with the men.
Interestingly, their commercial activities are for
the benefit of society rather than for individual gain,
so they use co-operation rather than competition as
a driver. For instance, says a paper from the Second
World Congress on Matriarchal Studies, which was
held in 2005 , one woman might sell salad, while her
neighbour will sell salad dressing. Or one might make
clothes but will hand over the embroidery to someone
else. “The aim is to improve the life of the community,
not to become number one at the expense of others,”
says the report.
The Zapotecs see their egalitarian culture as more
evolved: there is no pressure for women to marry, no
stigma if they decide to have a child on their own, and
no disapproval if they divorce.
It may sound ideal and, in principle, matriarchies
are. But let’s not forget that things are changing for
these societies as they are for all. Poverty and the
encroachment of tourism and globalisation are
causing seismic shifts and people are embracing what
they see as progress. Still, in theory at least, a purely
matriarchal society sounds perfect. As John Lennon
wrote: “Imagine all the people/Living life in peace...
Imagine no possessions I wonder if you can/No need
for greed or hunger/A brotherhood of man”. Or better
still, a sisterhood of woman.
Zapotec people wear traditional
Tehuana-style dress (famously
adopted by the artist Frida Kahlo),
at the Vela de Las Intrepidas,
a celebration of third
gender (muxe) people.matriarchal societies
In Bribri clans, everything
is passed down matrilineally.
Property, like these huts
constructed from natural
materials, are passed from
mothers to daughters.Photog
raphy^ Jan^ Sochor/GettyImages