ABSTRACT
The world-view of ubuntu has been interpreted as giving the highest regard to relationships This chapter argues that a relational ethic such as ubuntu is in its essence egalitarian. The reason that ubuntu is egalitarian is as a result of what a good relationship entails. This chapter argues that an ethic of ubuntu is in essence egalitarian. Once people understand that a good relationship requires equality, it follows that African societies which condone the subordination of women are acting against the essence of ubuntu and similar Afro-communitarian ideals. The claim that ubuntu requires equality between the sexes will be supported and analyzed in light of Nkiru Nzegwu's (1994) understanding of a dual-sex system in some traditional African societies. While this argument shows how it is possible for Afro-communitarianism to be egalitarian when it comes to gender relations, there are, however, still some issues that the kind of gender complementarity described here would have to deal with.
