Marriage Without Sex? Same-Sex Marriages and Female Identity Among the Nankani Of Northern Ghana
Date
2012-12
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Ghana Journal of Religion and Theology (GJRT)
Abstract
Marriages, same-sex or otherwise, are
undertaken for varied purposes. Yet, like many other
African societies, the preservation 01 lineages has
remained a core factor for contracting marriage among
the Nankani of Northern Ghana. Woman to woman
marriage among the Nankani is one of the practices set
in place to sustain genealogies or the immortality 01
one 50 ancestry. Although situated within the traditional
religio-cultural system of the people, woman to woman
marriage which is the only overt form of same-sex
marriage, contravenes both the projected religious and
moral code. This raises critical concerns. Among these
are the current discourses around the role of women in
African religions, the role of women in sustaining
patriarchy, the place of same-sex marriages, sex, and
female identity in traditional African societies. This
essay examines the aforementioned concerns From a
Nankani daughter and woman ~'perspective.
Description
Article
Keywords
Marriage, Sex, Same-Sex Marriages, Female Identity, Nankani, Northern Ghana