The Politics of Gender and Gender relations with Reference to Sudanese Girls Songs

Abstract

Sudanese women’s experience in oral tradition remains unrecognised in its own cultural setting. Agani al-Banat (literally means the girls’ songs) is not regarded as a serious artistry either because in most cases the author is unknown, or sung by those who are considered disrespectable according to the riverine culture i.e. the culture of the northern Sudanese who live along the river Nile. The Girls songs are worth of studying and investigating due to the terminology, expression and symbols used in these songs, the rites associated with their performance, the continuity and dynamism of the songs themselves make the girls songs a pure women's culture with its distinctive features and symbols that influence or be influenced with social reality. Through applying Griswold’s cultural diamond framework this paper examines selected songs’ texts, which carry various symbolism and meanings which, identify gender relations, gender identity, women's aspiration/feelings, and rebellion to the dominant culture. The journey within the girls’ songs texts has uncovered both positive (empowerment) and negative (disempowerment) impacts of these songs on Sudanese women’s expereince. In term of empowerment the Sudanese women, through the Girls’ Songs, break the silence towards some practices such as compulsory relatives’ marriage and polygamy. While in terms of disempowerment, these songs, supports the dominant culture through participating in presenting and perpetuating the stereotype images of woman’s identity as being only defined by her body.