Being a woman with the Ashanti tribe

by Ruby T
(New York, USA)

This picture was taken on my visit to Ghana a few years back. I spent a day in the company of the Ashanti tribe and thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

I did not speak the language they spoke but I had a translator with me who was very interesting and gave me a lot of information.

Maternal Lineage with the Ashanti

The most intriguing and personally satisfying aspect of the Ashanti tribe was the importance they placed on the maternal lineage and females in general.

They believed that mothers passed down the flesh and blood to their children. There was reverence for women and the pregnant woman was also very important in the everyday living.

As a woman who grew up in the western world which is largely patriarchal, this was certainly a delight.