Matrimonial practices and agricultural incomes of dry season in the plains and shallows of Lake Léré Basin

Abstract

The analysis of matrimonial practices according to age and religion underline the balance of power between women and men based on socially contracted role assignments. It’s an analysis method which allows noticing the inequalities between men and women in the dry season farm in the watershed plains of Lake Léré. Cautions often given to women are at the origin of many inequalities showed in the agricultural incomes search in the target area. These facts affect the different matrimonial practices, following the age and religion criteria. These remarks concern the socially defined sexual roles, the attitudes and values that the communities or societies adapt to the rights. The importance of the role depending on sex in the power sharing, the decision making, work division, in the household as well as in the whole society are instructive. However, the concept remains structured in each society of the target area, according to the dominant religion and type of matrimonial practices. These analyses require defining each social group of the target area, the conception of the role assigned to each sex which explains the imbalance between women and men in the plot acquisitions on which incomes depend