Women's Roles in Family Life: Sudan vs. United Kingdom

Introduction: Families in a Global Context

In today's globalized world, far more than just politics and economics shapes the international community. Society is made up of families, and families are, in a sense, what control the actions of that society. Because family life is among the top values that many people share, what is important in families is often what is important at higher levels of government. In Western cultures, this translates into family issues being at the forefront of the political realm. Issues like abortion, same-sex marriage, and euthanasia have become so controversial because families are devoted to defining themselves in relation to these questions. In countries like Afghanistan and Iraq, religion is incorporated into law in an attempt to define what family life is and should be.

Across the globe today, families are no longer concerned only with their own cohorts. Instead, they seek to understand what makes other families function and what governs their actions by reaching across cultural boundaries. A comparison of family life in both the developing country of Sudan and the industrialized country of the United Kingdom makes understanding families across the globe easier, allowing the similarities and differences of family life to be better grasped. Although the two countries differ greatly, the comparison reveals that women and their roles are of primary importance in both cultures.

Family Life in Sudan

Sudan, the largest country in Africa, is an excellent state to compare with the United Kingdom, as the African nation was once a colony of the world power. For 58 years, Great Britain controlled Sudan, establishing its boundaries based on the European nation's political interests rather than paying attention to the ethnic and cultural issues that already existed among the region's native populations. Because of this, intrastate relations in the area have been difficult, and civil war has shaped every aspect of family life in the tumultuous region ("Sudanese," 2008).

Despite the fact that poverty and violence have had an irreversible effect on life in Sudan, families in this region are resourceful and have managed to make the best of their circumstances. In hot weather, families stay cool and dry in mud-baked huts, while in cooler regions, grass huts provide heat and shelter from precipitation ("Sudanese," 2008). Families draw strength from their folklore, religion, and traditions in order to cope with even the most strenuous circumstances. Folkloric stories about Fatima the Beautiful — a Muslim woman who finds happiness in her beauty and many abilities — and Umm Ba'ula, the bogeywoman who threatens disobedient children, have long played a role in establishing family life and domestic traditions among the Sudanese ("Sudanese," 2008).

Although the war-torn region has been divided by political events, much of Sudanese family life has remained traditional because of strong religious and cultural ties ("Sudan: A Cultural Profile," 2008). That traditional family life is, in a peculiar way, simultaneously centered on women and entirely dismissive of them. Identifying the female's role in family life is therefore of the utmost importance in discussing tradition in Sudan.

Women's Roles and Gender Inequality in Sudan

As a Muslim nation, Sudan's women are governed by the decrees of Islamic law, required to wear traditional Muslim coverings, to keep their gaze lower than that of male strangers, and to manage the domestic household ("Sudanese," 2008; Cline, 2009). Although the literacy rate in Sudan is only around 30% ("Sudanese," 2008), women are generally among the unschooled, and even educated women may face these same restrictions. Expected to keep house and raise children, women are generally separated from men during celebrations and other public events. Women eat together — and after the men — and remain at home while men socialize with one another in homes and public spaces. Although women are permitted to associate with one another, they generally do not enjoy the same social privileges as men, even within their own sex (Cline, 2009).

In addition, women are generally responsible for managing social services within the family. Those who are sick, elderly, or experiencing family difficulties typically turn to the women in their extended family for relief (Cline, 2009). Marriages in Sudan also tend to be arranged as alliances between families rather than unions of two people who love each other; the tradition of a bride price persists within Sudanese marriage customs ("Sudanese," 2009).

Discrimination against women is rampant, stemming from both Islamic influence and the practice of female genital mutilation (FGM) (Cline, 2009). According to Cline (2009), FGM is widely regarded as a dangerous practice, both psychologically and physiologically, causing significant pain and complications during childbirth. It also serves as a physical marker that sets women apart as a class fundamentally different from men. While men also undergo circumcision, the outcomes are not nearly as harmful, and the practice can be seen as a physical symbol of male superiority.

Family life in Sudan varies depending on education, wealth, and degree of commitment to the Islamic faith. Cline (2009) notes that some university-educated couples live lives similar to those of Western couples, with men and women holding relatively equal positions. Women from wealthier families, and those in certain geographical areas, also tend to have greater freedom. However, in all of these cases, stringent adherence to Muslim traditions often overrides other social classifications. Ultimately, family life in Sudan is largely defined by the treatment of women — understanding their plight is the clearest lens through which the outside world can understand Sudanese family life.