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Intimacy, labour and sexual violence: Nama and Baster women in Namaqualand’s copper mining district, c.1879–1900
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 27 May 2024
Abstract
This article explores the intersection of labour, sexual violence and intimacy in the late nineteenth-century copper mining district of Namaqualand, focusing on the impact of male labourers’ brutalities on local Nama and Baster women. Small in scale, lacking state interference and offering vast employment opportunities to women, Namaqualand’s mines and the towns that grew around them were a key destination for local female labour migration. Due to these unique characteristics, however, women were also exposed to unwanted attention and sexual abuse by male labourers, particularly miners. Women used the Cape’s legal system to protest, but the indifference shown towards their suffering by colonial officials and the public allowed men to use violence without much restraint, rendering women’s legal efforts futile. Ultimately, sexual violence reinforced gendered and racial hierarchies, restricting women’s socio-economic agency and autonomy. The article argues that these dynamics highlight the violent (re)shaping of colonial and patriarchal power asymmetries in the north-western Cape between two major colonial wars after the stabilization of the northern frontier by means of armed conquest.
Résumé
Cet article explore l’intersection du travail, de la violence sexuelle et de l’intimité dans le district minier de cuivre du Namaqualand, à la fin du XIXe siècle, en se concentrant sur l’impact des brutalités exercées par des ouvriers sur des femmes nama et baster locales. De petite taille, sans ingérence de l’État et offrant aux femmes de vastes opportunités d’emploi, les mines du Namaqualand et les villes qui se sont développées autour d’elles étaient une destination clé pour la migration de main-d’œuvre féminine locale. En raison de ces caractéristiques uniques, les femmes étaient cependant également exposées à une attention non désirée et à des abus sexuels de la part des ouvriers, en particulier des mineurs. Les femmes ont utilisé le système juridique du Cap pour protester, mais l’indifférence manifestée à l’égard de leurs souffrances par les autorités coloniales et le public a permis aux hommes de recourir à la violence sans grande retenue, rendant inutiles les efforts juridiques des femmes. En définitive, la violence sexuelle a renforcé les hiérarchies genrées et raciales, restreignant l’agentivité socio-économique et l’autonomie des femmes. L’article soutient que ces dynamiques mettent en évidence le (re)façonnement violent des asymétries de pouvoir colonial et patriarcal dans le nord-ouest du Cap, entre deux guerres coloniales majeures, après la stabilisation de la frontière nord par la conquête armée.
Resumo
Este artigo explora a intersecção entre trabalho, violência sexual e intimidade no distrito mineiro de cobre de Namaqualand, no final do século XIX, centrando-se no impacto das brutalidades dos trabalhadores masculinos nas mulheres locais Nama e Baster. De pequena dimensão, sem interferência do Estado e oferecendo vastas oportunidades de emprego a mulheres, as minas de Namaqualand e as cidades que cresciam à sua volta eram um destino privilegiado para a migração da mão de obra feminina local. No entanto, devido a estas características únicas, as mulheres também estavam expostas a atenções indesejadas e a abusos sexuais por parte dos trabalhadores masculinos, em particular dos mineiros. As mulheres recorreram ao sistema jurídico do Cabo para protestar, mas a indiferença demonstrada pelos funcionários coloniais e pelo público em relação ao seu sofrimento permitiu que os homens fizessem uso da violência sem grandes restrições, tornando inúteis os esforços legais das mulheres. Em última análise, a violência sexual reforçou as hierarquias de género e raciais, restringindo a agência socioeconómica e a autonomia das mulheres. O artigo argumenta que estas dinâmicas põem em evidência a (re)configuração violenta das assimetrias de poder colonial e patriarcal no Cabo Noroeste, entre duas grandes guerras coloniais, após a estabilização da fronteira norte através da conquista armada.
- Type
- Violence and intimacy
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- Copyright
- © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the International African Institute
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