my workshop again last week. This time it was in Vila so was a lot less exhausting and as I was staying at home didnt necessitate the enjoyment of village hospitality (i.e. eating lap-lap for lunch and dinner). The women who attended the course seemed genuinely enthused about the need to get more women standing for election and actually elected, hopefully the workshop will have some impact on that happening if not in this year's elections then at least getting organised for those that follow.Ni-Vans take the ceremonial aspects of workshops pretty seriously, in fact I think the certificate an
d closing refreshments are in many ways more important than any of the content of the course. So a three day workshop ended up with an almost two hour closing ceremony which included speeches from me (smol nomo), my boss (and co-facilitator), a representative of the participants, the President and Vice-president of the board, two songs dedicated to me and my boss and a presentation of gifts. My boss was given a large woven mat which I had had my eye on when it was brought in to the back of the room. My gift was a giant island dress which I of course had to put on to appreciate fully. Everyone was very pleased as apparently it fits perfectly i.e. there is room for me to grow into, get pregnant a few times plus some space to smuggle a couple of small friends around in.
d closing refreshments are in many ways more important than any of the content of the course. So a three day workshop ended up with an almost two hour closing ceremony which included speeches from me (smol nomo), my boss (and co-facilitator), a representative of the participants, the President and Vice-president of the board, two songs dedicated to me and my boss and a presentation of gifts. My boss was given a large woven mat which I had had my eye on when it was brought in to the back of the room. My gift was a giant island dress which I of course had to put on to appreciate fully. Everyone was very pleased as apparently it fits perfectly i.e. there is room for me to grow into, get pregnant a few times plus some space to smuggle a couple of small friends around in. I'd thought (for about a second) about including a session in the workshop to discuss 'the island dress as an effect
ive form of female oppression and subjugation' (Mother Hubbard dresses were first introduced by missionaries to cover up the modesty of women who had otherwise been happy with a few well placed leaves and grass skirts, now the island dresses as they are called are a pretty useful way of enforcing the gender stereotypes of women as well as anonymizing women, younger women who happily wear close fitting western clothing appear to don the island dress as an unwritten rule of marriage, although i should admit that they are quite cool on a hot day and give you no excuse to turn down the odd doughnut or seconds of lap-lap).
ive form of female oppression and subjugation' (Mother Hubbard dresses were first introduced by missionaries to cover up the modesty of women who had otherwise been happy with a few well placed leaves and grass skirts, now the island dresses as they are called are a pretty useful way of enforcing the gender stereotypes of women as well as anonymizing women, younger women who happily wear close fitting western clothing appear to don the island dress as an unwritten rule of marriage, although i should admit that they are quite cool on a hot day and give you no excuse to turn down the odd doughnut or seconds of lap-lap).
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