ABSTRACT
This chapter deals with women’s political articulations that emerge from the everyday. Based on the portraits of several women and concerning issues such as looking for a suitable husband, generating an income, and continuing one’s education, it illustrates how femininities, masculinities, and gender relations are bargained over in daily life. The chapter demonstrates that even though the female research participants claim that their decision-making is limited and women mostly bargain within the locally acknowledged gendered norms of Kankan’s patriarchal society, their agency is manifold and they use various ways of influencing their lives. Making decisions relating to income-generating activities, family affairs, education, and marriage issues can create difficulties, thus women do so with discretion. Women also behave properly according to social and religious norms; thus, they gain a reputation as a ‘good’ Muslim woman that allows them to pursue desired goals. Overall, this chapter argues that women in Kankan use their agency strategically to (re-)negotiate various forms of power and authority. They know in which situations it is suitable to remain silent and when it is legitimate to raise their voices.
