Although women have made great strides in terms of equality over the years, worldwide, men still own more businesses and run more countries and communities—it’s still a man’s world. There are precious few examples of societies that are truly governed and actually led by women, but they’re out there. And we could stand to learn a thing or two from them: here are five women-run societies from around the world, and the governing philosophies that make them unique.
The Ede of Vietnam
Traditionally, in Ede villages, women own all of the property and they pass it on to their daughters. Ede women are expected to propose to their husbands; the husband then takes the name of the woman’s family and lives in the family’s longhouse. The eldest woman in the longhouse even gets her own handmade chair, which must be carved painstakingly from one piece of wood. Land is owned communally by the village while the forests are sacred, part of their ancient animistic religion. While vestiges of ancient customs still remain, the Ede of today are primarily Protestant Christians.
The Mosuo People of China
In Mosuo society, women make most of the business decisions and they run the households completely. The Ah Mi is the ultimate leader of a household, typically the eldest female. Children are raised communally. Often one household will take in another household’s child, and raise them as part of the family. While everyone else shares a communal space, women over 13 years old get the privacy of their own room, called a “flowering room.” The Mosuo practice walking marriage, which basically means a woman can pick a partner but aren’t really bound to them. Children are raised by the whole household and uncles are expected to play the male role in the lives of their nieces and nephews. It’s a dynamic, fluid society in which women have dominant power roles.
The Native American Hopi Tribe
The Hopi Indians call themselves “The Peaceful People.” They based their way of life on a respect for their environment, and Hopis traditionally organize themselves matrilinearly. Women hold most of the power, even though the labor is divided equally. All of the women come together whenever a baby in the tribe is 20 days old in order to name it. It’s a remarkably cooperative society, and one that evokes communal principles on every level.
The Chambri of Papua New Guinea
Margaret Mead’s writings about the Chambri people from the 1930’s helped bolster feminism in the United States. Mead wrote about how women did the fishing and provided for their family and community in Chambri society. Anthropologists later concluded that although Mead’s observations were right, the power dynamic in Chambri relationships is more equal than she let on. Nonetheless, the Chambri still provide an example of a society with a atypical sexual politics — where women maintain control of many aspects of the culture.
Herland
Okay, so Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s 1910 classic is complete fiction, and includes the supernatural (and convenient) element of virgin birth… still, Herland reveals what we, as a society, think of women and how they would run the world. In Herland, the women value motherhood above all, they raise children communally, they are devoted to education — and they’re completely peaceful. In other words, the aggressive, war-like tendencies of men fade away, and the desires for progress and democratic harmony are advanced.
When Women Lead?
From this cursory view of women-run societies, some fundamental differences from predominantly male-run communities become pretty clear. Most strikingly, these cultures appear to have quite a different view of ownership than the one that dominates in Western culture today — a far greater emphasis is placed on communal participation than in societies run by men, which tend to be more hegemonic. Children, for example, belong to the whole community rather than to a single family, and land is shared instead of partitioned off. Of course, this was just a casual look at some incredibly complex and unique communities around the globe — but if they’re any indication, societies run by women stand to be more egalitarian, more nurturing, and perhaps more just.
Thank you
i would hardly call ANY of the ”matriarchal” societies you listed as ”successful”.
I think none of them would have an influx of people from ”patriarchal” societies wishing to immigrate there.your rose colored glasses are somewhat blurry.
Thank you Floyd. Spoken direct from the ego of an ignorant man.
Joe, I partly struggle with your comment. (Okay, his second sentence is quite egotistical.) We have come so far in our society that we now know what others think without asking them. Its all done by building stereotypes: “Anyone who will argue with the above article is surely sexist.. and therefore wrong.”
But what if I am not sexist, and see matriarchal societies as a different kind of sexism that is equally deplorable to what we have learned so well in the western world?
Just one point among many in my mind…
Is there no need to father? Should we toss it because of bad examples? Are there no good examples? (At least our patriarchal societies still elevate mothers.) True fathering should involve good mentoring at the very least. No matter what the men are in that society, shouldn’t they teach their boys how to be good men? Or maybe there is nothing for men to teach boys because neither of them have any value?
Consider a matrirchic society. I am in in favor or that.
Wow, interesting stuff. Thanks for writing about it.
I have been Googling matriarchy, and came across this quote from a webiste (matriarchy.info) that has crystallised what it is that I’m thirsty for:
“A Matriarchy is a type of society, which is distinguished from all other types of societies by the absence of power structures and institutionalised hierarchies. This is why rural sociologist Christian Sigrist [1] refers to it as an ‘adjusted anarchy’, and culture sociologist Thomas Wagner [2] calls it an ‘egalitarian consensus democracy’.
“The means of production are commonly owned and set of rules prevent the accumulation of possessions or power. Compared to socialist or communist systems they are characterized by the absence of a centralised administration and ruling authority. Decisions concerning every area of life are made by consensus including all genders and generations.”
Your quote sounds like a sister to the statements made by the pigs in “Animal Farm”. Have you read it? Perhaps a closer look at matriarchy will show that the lack of hierarchy no longer exists. (awkward wording is intentional)
The definition in the quote is in error. The etymology of ‘matriarchy’ will teach that it means that women are placed at the top of the pyramid. Absense of hierarchy? No… its Matriarchy!
I have no problem with women being elevated. I do so myself. I think it is not done nearly enough. I just have a big problem with men being debased to the point of having no value at all. “Hey, we don’t even need fathers.” I don’t think this is an positive solution to the negative ways that patriarchal societies have debased the value of women.
Edwith, I’m so delighted you are doing this! As you know I used to teach the Women & Religion class at FIU/BBC and am now organizing an Inter-Faith Women’s Group. Way back in l971, I helped to organize the
first NOW group in Virginia. So am so elated that
you have begun a new chapter at FIU! We must connect soon to share all this movement! Namaste! Ama
i would hardly call ANY of the ”matriarchal” societies you listed as ”successful”.
I think none of them would have an influx of people from ”patriarchal” societies wishing to immigrate there.your rose colored glasses are somewhat blurry.
המונותאיזם של הדת היהודית הרס את העולם עם הרעיונות המצחינים והשקריים שכתובים שם..וללא יכולת מחיקה.
All these societies have one glaring thing in common.
They are all primitive, tribal booger-eater societies. They are one or two steps above cavemen…. so much for “successful.” When it comes to inventing new things or coming up with innovative new solutions to old problems, you can’t beat male creativity. These “female-dominated” societies have stagnated for thousands of years. Coincidence?
And one more thing… the women in these tribes have no more and no less power than MEN ALLOW THEM.
trollolololol
“Stagnation” is what happens when a body that relies on movement is trapped (usually resulting in its being taken over by some toxic group of parasite or another.)
The word that describes a way of life able to survive unchanged throughout millenia is, “sustainable.” See also, “functional”, “working”, and, “not-threatening-to-destroy-itself.”
P.S. – you’re a racist
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As the author responsibly warns, this article is a very cursory look at power dynamics among very different cultures. Part of the problem with judging relative levels of “equality” among diverse populations is the fact that the definition of power itself changes. For example, decribing a division of labor that makes women primarily responsible for obtaining provision says nothing of the context of this line of work in terms of societal honor. The same can be said of ownership. Real estate and home ownership in Saudi Arabia has traditionally been maintained by women, but in most other respects this country would still be considered patriarchial today. The article says very little of governance, though this is the factor that deals most directly with societal delegation of power. A sequal article focusing exclusively on law, property, or labor would offer more in the way of true comparison.
I love how the writer thinks it’s OK to write an article about how it’s great to talk about a sexist matriarchy like it’s a positive thing. If I wrote an article about how patriarchies are awesome, the backlash would be endless. You my dear have a hateful agenda. Be a grown woman and own it by naming the article “I hate men and here’s why”