Supposing that there were Female Fathers

ABSTRACT : The paper highlights how African female self-images have changed over generations. In the ancient African culture, a female child occupied a significant position in the community. However, due to culture contact and
change and the domestic violence in our postmodern society, it appears as if the role of the woman in public life is no
longer recognised. The paper unearths the sisters or aunts in Shona culture in Zimbabwe, Luba culture in the Democratic of Congo, as well as the Venda of South Africa, which we believe are relevant in reviewing gender practices in postmodern Africa. The point of departure in this paper is to draw from patriarchy the problem solving roles that women once played or continue to play in this system. Although the women‟s roles were not always similar to those of their male counterparts, however, their leadership roles went beyond ordinary familial and matrilineal duties. The paper argues that a fuller understanding of the role of female fathers in these cultures is vital to resisting the perceptions that the violence attacking the heart of our society today emerges from patriarchal areas of barbarity.
KEYWORDS: Africa, culture, gender, female fathers, and human being