Mothers on the march: Iraqw women negotiating the public sphere in Tanzania

This article explores the role of women's marches among the Iraqw in rural Tanzania. It focuses on the role of mothers in gender identity and how this role gives women the moral authority to act collectively. It shows how gender roles have been redefined in the colonial and postcolonial era. In particular, it focuses on the effects of the imposition of a divided public/private sphere and the subsequent devaluation of the social roles of women, and specifically mothers. Finally, it examines how Iraqw mothers, through the cultural institution of the protest march, are seeking to reclaim a role in the public sphere.