Rural Women of Swaziland

In Swaziland, a small country of just over one million people located between South Africa and Mozambique, rural women face formidable challenges. Although Swaziland is considered one of Africa's more prosperous countries, most of its high-level economic activity is managed by foreigners, leaving the country's mostly rural population to work in the unskilled labor market. Many Swazi men travel to South Africa to find work, leaving their wives to care for traditionally large families. Swaziland experiences recurring droughts, which, combined with years of poor agricultural management, leaves families susceptible to malnourishment and even starvation. Compounding these problems, Swaziland's HIV-infection rate is one of the highest in the world. The number of children under the age of seventeen who have lost one or both parents to AIDS is expected to climb to over 100,000 by the year 2010. With this growing population of unprotected youth, the expatriation of much of the rural male workforce, and the growing numbers of adult illnesses and deaths caused by AIDS, women must find ways to support themselves and their dependents. Each woman that works for Gone Rural is supporting an average of eight children, and in most cases, Gone Rural provides their only source of income.

Artisan Voices

Zodwa Ngcamphalala, rural Swazi woman: Ngcamphalala lives in the drought-stricken Tibane area of southeastern Swaziland. Her husband works in South Africa and can only visit home three or four times a year. The income she earns from making baskets for Gone Rural helps her send her two children to school and supplement her family's diet with more nutritional foods, but has also enabled her to begin a micro-business. She now offers solar-powered cell phone charging services to her community.

Lutindzi Grass Weavings

For centuries, the rural people of Swaziland have harvested the tough lutindzi grass, which grows in rocky outcrops high in the country's ancient granite mountains, to make rope and other practical items. Adding some contemporary elements to this age-old tradition, Gone Rural's craftswomen have helped to revive an authentic Swazi crafts industry, creating distinctive baskets, mats, and other woven lutindzi products. Out of the reach of grazing cattle, women collect the wiry grass after heavy rains, carefully leaving the roots in the soil to ensure the regrowth of the grass for the following year. So as not to place an unnecessary burden on local natural resources, Gone Rural uses imported dyes to color the grass, as well as a specially designed fuel-efficient wood-burning tank boiler used during the dyeing process that has reduced the use of wood by more than 150 percent compared to the traditional method. Once the grass has been colored, women work in their homes or in village groups to create plaited and woven goods, which are then brought to Gone Rural's workshop for marketing and sale in Swaziland and abroad.

Region: Southern Africa

Capital: Mbabane

Population: 1,354,051 (2010)

Size: Slightly smaller than New Jersey

Languages: English (administrative), SiSwati (official)

Major religions: Zionist (a blend of Christianity and indigenous ancestral worship) 40%, Roman Catholic 20%, Muslim 10%, other 30%

Life expectancy at birth: 47.97 years, 7th lowest in the world

HIV/AIDS adult prevalence rate: 26.1%, highest in the world

Population below poverty line: 69%

Number of AIDS orphans: At least 56,000 (2007 estimate)

Did You Know: Each year, tens of thousands of unmarried and childless Swazi women travel from their villages to participate in the Uhmlanga or Reed Dance ceremony, an eight-day tribute to the Ndlovukati, or Queen Mother (literally, “She-Elephant”), who typically rules jointly with her son.

All statistics from CIA World Factbook 2010 and UNICEF

Swaziland is a tiny country located between South Africa and Mozambique. Half of the land is in the hands of foreign businessmen and nearly 70% of the country lives in extreme poverty. It ranks among the least free countries in the world. Swaziland has the highest HIV and AIDS prevalence rate in the world and, consequently, one of the lowest life expectancies.

Absolute Monarchy

After more than six decades of British rule, this tiny, landlocked African nation gained independence in 1968. The country is ethnically homogeneous, composed primarily of the Swazi people, members of the Bantu tribe. Swaziland is one of the world's last remaining absolute monarchies; King Mswati III has complete judicial, executive, and legislative power. According to Freedom House, an organization that monitors democracy around the world, the country ranks among the least free countries in the world (in the same category with Sudan and North Korea), with few civil liberties or political rights. In 2006, opposition parties were banned and freedom of the press was suspended, further cementing the king's power. Though political violence is limited, frustration and the desire for change are growing.

Poverty and HIV/AIDS

While Swaziland has the sixth highest GDP per capita in sub-Saharan Africa, most high-level economic activity and almost half the land lies in the hands of foreign businesspeople. The remaining wealth is unevenly distributed among the nearly 70% of the country living in extreme poverty and a small, corrupt elite. King Mswati III has been criticized for his big collection of luxury cars and mansions. More than half the country lives in rural areas and relies primarily on farming or herding for a living but droughts, HIV/AIDS, and poor land management have meant that many people are facing food scarcity. Local government has failed to provide adequate services to many rural areas such as clean and safe drinking water, health clinics, and funds to provide for the 100,000 AIDS orphans. Swaziland has the highest HIV/AIDS prevalence rate in the world and its life expectancy is dropping. This is partly because of King Mswati's controversial and inadequate response to the crisis. From 2001 to 2005, his plan included prohibiting young, unmarried women from wearing pants and from shaking hands with men.

Women

Women in Swaziland face additional challenges. Cultural practices prevent many women from owning land. As unemployment has risen, many Swazi men have left the country to look for work, leaving women as the heads of households, responsible for feeding and raising children on their own with limited ways in which to earn a living. Swazi women also often lack sexual and reproductive rights, such as the right to refuse sex, insist on condom use, or determine the number of children they will bear.