Tiba: cooking duty

The men slaughtered the goat and cooked the liver for the ritual. Now it was time to prepare the rest of the meat. According to custom, for this ritual the men ask the women who they would like to prepare the meal. In this case, as is often (apparently), the women asked the men to do the cooking, and they obliged.

The only reason I know this is because I have complained about constantly seeing the women hurriedly cooking these massive meals for thirty, forty, or more, people while the men, from my perspective, sit around in the shade practicing some ritual over bottle after bottle of brandy. While I have the deepest respect for the rich cultural practices, I have to say that it often appears to me like the men are having a big party while the women work their tails off! I’ve brought up this concern on several occasions. And my frustration came out a couple times already.

This time, the men take and prepare the meat. They stand over the large pots over the open fire and cook each and every part of the goat. In the meanwhile, the women sit together and chat. All afternoon we drink tea and enjoy being served by the men once the meat is prepared. When the ground dries up we all head outside, some choosing to sit in the hot African sun and others the shade. I enjoy the female camaraderie. …My feminist side feeling somewhat vindicated.