Gender and history in Southern Africa: A Lesotho "Metanarrative"

Abstract

Women played critical roles in the development of Lesotho from the mid-nineteenth-century through independence in 1966. The absence of males in Basotho society due to migratory labor contributed to this phenomenon. However, much of the historical accounts remain distorted by ethnocentric and male-centric paradigms. The purpose of this article is to confirm both the positions of women during this time as well as the necessity of socialist or materialist feminist methods when developing accurate historical accounts. The author is successful in uncovering critical histories and narratives of women in Lesotho and leaves readers questioning the sociological accuracy of Western-based historical accounts.