1997
180 pp.
10 b/w photos, 8 maps, 13 tables, 9 figures and charts
Text language: German
The hard working one in the family is the wife.
This book deals with pottery and other income generating strategies of women in Eastern Caprivi/ Namibia. It shows the strategies women employ to minimize risks such as drought, divorce or widowhood. Economic diversification is one of them. Besides making pottery women are engaged in economic activities like fishing, brewing beer and weaving baskets.
A comparison between female potters and basketmakers on the one hand and male carvers on the other indicates that some risks and strategies are related to gender. Diversification of activities and customers seem to be a female strategy whereas carvers specialize in their craft and in the urban market. Another important strategy for minimizing risks is social networking. This means building, strengthening and expanding social relations which may help in times of crisis.
The study shows that development agencies should consider social, economic and gender aspects when designing development projects for potters in Caprivi. Communication between all participants of a project is a vital prerequisite for success. Ten b/w-photos illustrate the art of pottery of women in Eastern Caprivi. In the end of the book you will find an English summary.
