The Centrality of Women in Moral Teaching in Yoruba Family System

Abstract

Social order and peaceful co-existence are some of the primary goals in every human society. Central to maintenance of law and order in traditional Yoruba societies is the family. Culturally among the Yoruba people, women are socialized differently from men. This paper, rather than focus on the oppression of women in Yoruba cultural setting, examines the series of significant contributions of women to the maintenance of social order and ethical well-being of families. The feminine gender is not always synonymous with oppression and domination rather family well-being is mediated by the principle of complementarily between males and females. As a result, women have privileged relationship with their children better than men. Women are the pedagogues to lead their children, and this requires them to live a life worthy of emulation. The paper avers that the argument is not that men are totally left out of the moral upbringing of their children; most times they provide supportive roles. But the fact that women spend more time with the children calls for examination of their roles in the moral standing of children in Yoruba family system. Given the central role of women in the home and society, social order can be attained where women are committed to the moral upbringing of their children, rather than being marginalized in any aspect of the society.