Gendered use of space
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WEDDING
Participants from all wards agreed that there were clear gendered rules about the use of space in communities. Specific sites such as graveyards, Mosques and the market were labelled as off-limits to married women, by all participants, regardless of the presence or absence of a chaperone. Men were prevented from entering any space where women met in groups, or from entering households where women were present in the absence of the male head of household.to be honest, going by Islamic rules it is forbidden for women to go to the market, so we are only abiding by such rules, they don’t go to the market at all (Participant from Men’s group 2)men are not allowed to go to women’s gathering like naming ceremony or wedding (participant from Young Women’s group 2) However, all groups also noted that there were situations where women’s mobility became more flexible. For example, with their husband’s permission women were allowed to leave their houses without the presence of a male chaperone, if it related to taking action on health-related matters — emphasising women’s participation in health decision-making described earlier. The district head would give permission for men and women to be together in the absence of their husbands. Information about these decisions is passed down from district heads to husbands and male heads of compounds. In light of this, plans for the community link intervention where men’s and women’s groups were required to meet and establish shared plans and priorities to be considered at health forums, could only continue with explicit permissions for these meetings from the district head.