1.1.3 Cultural situation
Culturally, the DRC is a very diverse country with a lot of
ethnicities, each with its customs. Accordingly, there are many tribes in South
Kivu but the most important are the Bashi, Barega, Babembe, Bahavu and
Bafulero. These tribes are made of families that abide by traditional values by
respecting social customs, beliefs, traditions and norms. As this is a
paternalistic society, these values are therefore protected by elders who are
old men.
South Kivu ethnicities are very complex. There exist many
languages in the province and people are likely to identify themselves in
relation to their ethnic groups rather than to their nation as a whole. Tribal
names continue to be significant as a way of identifying people with their
province, and social standing. Relations between ethnic groups vary greatly.
Hence, Hatari (1999:36) deduces that politicians, foreign powers and
multinational companies have sought to exploit ethnic tensions in order to gain
control over the province's abundant natural resources.
The different tribes of South Kivu use different languages, of
which Kiswahili, Mashi, Kirega and Kihavu are the most eminent. In addition to
these languages, each tribe has its own dialect. Although French is the
official language used for education and local government, the majority of the
people use Kiswahili in their daily different activities.
The attitudes and beliefs of individuals reflect upon how
their families are viewed in the community. Based on South Kivu family
traditions, men have more power, rights and respect than women. Accordingly,
boys are more advantaged than girls in all aspects of life because there is
gender misbalance that is expressed through discrimination between the sexes.
This impels that, `men do not regard women as their equals in terms of
education, employment or decision-making' (Hatari, 1999:29). Such GBV depicts
clearly how men and women have designated gender roles that dictate what they
do in the home and community. Women are primarily responsible for caring for
the family and maintaining the household.
South Kivu tribes regard women differently; the woman's
freedom is dependent upon the community in which she lives. This infers that
her behaviour is often restricted by social norms. As an illustration, Ongala
(1993:56) states that in South Kivu rural areas, many married women still seek
their husband's permission to travel or complete routine legal transactions.
As regards education, boys are more encouraged to attend
school. In rural areas, most girls and women did not study and those who did
are traditionally refused to work outside their families. Culturally, this is
due to harsh traditions that stipulate that women must look after kids and take
care of the home. Although emancipation is occurring slowly, women remain at a
disadvantage in law and society.
Domestic violence is not uncommon in the DRC and in South
Kivu, in particular. South Kivu is a patriarchal society. Erturk (2007:24)
assumes that it is often acceptable for men to resort to violence, assault and
verbal abuse in the home. Culturally, women will not refute domestic violence
because they see it as an extension of male authority in the home. The law does
not address the issue of GBV although it contains nice paragraphs dealing with
it. This because domestic violence is often viewed as a personal problem in
which others should not intervene.
As for marriage, the legal age for marriage is 18 but in rural
areas, it is common for girls to be prepared for it at a much earlier age. In
some cultures, people get married at an advanced age but this makes them lose
respect. Some parents make pre-arranged marriage for their children and this is
quite normal since `culturally, it is the parents who pay the dowry for their
sons' (Ertürk, 2007:38). In very few areas, children make their own choice
for whom to marry. Polygamy is not legal but men decide to marry as many wives
as they can for procreation, popularity and power. Marriage customs vary
depending on tribal traditions. The whole family is involved in the marriage
process but men are the most important persons as they are given word in
public. Divorce is not common in the province because marriage is seen as a
union between two families and divorce therefore divides communities (Mirindi,
2007:66).
The religious beliefs in South Kivu dominate people's minds.
Mirindi (2007:36) found that the main religious groups are Roman Catholic
(50%), Protestant (20%), Kimbanguist (10% 10) and Muslim (10%). A further 10
per cent follow traditional beliefs, whose customs and rituals are often merged
with other faiths. There has been a major Christian revival in recent years,
which has had an impact on every aspect of life. Religious groups have also
played an active role in the provincial social life and development. Some
churches build healthcare centres, schools and other services and help couples
to live harmoniously (Mirindi, 2007:43).
As for leisure, South Kivu people like seeping on beer, enjoy
music and sports, particularly football. The consumption of alcohol is
culturally acceptable although the Muslim and protestant population does not
drink it. In literacy levels, very few people accede to newspapers. Radios are
widely used in the province as a source of public information. Most radio
stations are privately owned, however church radio networks are developing.
People are familiar with televisions although reception is often very bad. The
internet also exists but the government does not restrict its use. Mirindi
(2007:54) presumes that `its uncontrolled use among the youth pushes them to
see pornographic movies'. Such films daily proliferate GBV as they teach them
how to sexually harass and dishonour young girls. Libraries are not well
stocked and textbooks are outdated.
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