Provide an analytical history of the major changes that occurred in the lives of 20th century Asante women.

Provide an analytical history of the major changes that occurred in the lives of 20th century Asante women.


In this essay I acknowledge there are many changes that occurred within the history of Asante women during the twentieth century. Their history is a confusing subject, as they do not feature objectively in much of the academic dialogue, as Jean Allman suggests, ‘women have not had a place in most of the scholarly investigations of Asante identity because British colonialism in Asante……..has profoundly circumscribed the way we think about ‘being Asante’.’ Allman stresses that the notion of Asanteness has been identified as being explicitly male by the patriarchal influence of British colonialism, although women had a very prominent position in Asante society prior to their rule. The fluidity, that was such an integral part of Asante society, was suppressed and re-made by colonial rule. The authors of I Will not Eat Stone are also in agreement with this point ...