If one were to describe a Malagasy woman, one would say she is beautiful, smiling and devoted to her family. A Malagasy mother loves to care for her home, but this does not mean that her identity is limited to that! She is the pillar that successfully supports a crumbling roof! Get to know the Malagasy woman!

The beauty, characteristics and strength of Malagasy women

Traditional dress gives Malagasy women a unique beauty. Young girls unfortunately view this way of dressing as outdated and prefer Western clothing! Here are the characteristics of a few Malagasy ethnic groups!

Merina

Women from the central highlands closely resemble Malaysians and Polynesians due to their shared origins. The traditional outfit is a long dress adorned with lace worn with the famous lamba, a large rectangle of cotton or silk worn as a shawl. Only elderly ladies and women living in rural areas wear them today.

The traditional hairstyle, the tanavoho, is a complex flat chignon created with hair gathered into two braids and placed at the nape of the neck. Sadly, it's rarely seen anymore!

Sakalava

The image of a Sakalava woman (from Madagascar's western coast) is that of a mother wearing the traditional lambahoany (colored printed cotton wrap) daily with braided hair. The garment is simple, yet suited to the climate while highlighting curves!

The face is almost always covered with a white-yellow mask called tabaky. This plant-based paste protects the skin from sun, wind and salt while preventing aging.

Antandroy

Antandroy women (an ethnic group from the island's far south) are renowned for weaving Mohair carpets, a traditional craft. In daily life, they also wear the lambahoany tied under the armpits, resembling a bodice. Vangovango (a type of bracelet) and necklaces are ornaments but also serve to ward off illness or misfortune. The traditional hairstyle is the dokodoko (curls).

Vezo

The Vezo (people of the country's western coast) are renowned for being exceptional fishermen and navigators. Women are however forbidden from fishing and stay ashore to gather octopuses, sea urchins and crustaceans from the lagoon when the tide is low. They also wear the lambahoany and adorn their faces with masks featuring lovely floral designs.

Antemoro

Antemoro women are famous for making antemoro paper (a type of papyrus adorned with dried flowers). As for their clothing, they distinguish themselves by their striped lambahoany worn at the waist and straw hats. Husbands cannot give clothes to their wives, for fear of attracting the evil eye of mothers-in-law and sisters-in-law who hold authority over women in the household.

Antakarana

Antakarana women (people from the island's north) wear the salovana and the kisaly. The first is a fabric measuring 110x160 cm tied at the chest, while the second is a shawl covering the head and shoulders.

Betsileo

The distinctive feature of Betsileo women (people from the southern part of the central highlands) is their braids, each with particular names and very important meanings:

· Kitain'ondry, kitanala, valala mihoatra and kirozaroza for young unmarried girls and women

· Mitsangana fa andeha for girls about to be married

· Tagna-voho (tanavoho) for married women

· Randran'anakova (resembling Princess Leia in Star Wars) for princesses

The role of Malagasy women in the household and society

In most Malagasy households, the man is theoretically the head of the house, but in practice, it is the woman who runs everything and does everything. She manages finances and everything related to the home, including housework, shopping, children's education, and more.

This entails heavy moral burdens, as in all societies around the world, but Malagasy women are particularly strong. Depending on the region or ethnic group they belong to, women's responsibilities can be enormous.

Gender equality remains a utopia in traditionalist Malagasy society where religion and beliefs tip the scales in favor of men. More and more women hold important positions (village chief, mayor, minister, president of major associations, etc.), but their influence is not significant enough because of male dominance.

Only those who are very wealthy and highly educated manage to make a name for themselves and succeed in bringing about change, but in such cases, they struggle to find love or a husband. In Malagasy society, men still wish to be superior, imposing for example the idea that their infidelity is perfectly normal and inevitable.

Participation and contribution of Malagasy women to society and the economy

Although many efforts are being mobilized for Malagasy women, they struggle to flourish fully. The weight of culture still weighs heavily on their shoulders, maintaining a limiting and reductive legal status toward them, particularly in traditional marriage. The law governing marriage in Madagascar has yet to be written and adopted.

In the country's history, few names have been remembered, including those of the queens Ranavalona. We should also note Giselle Rabesahala, the first Malagasy woman appointed minister, in 1977.

However, the new generation seems to be charting a very different path than their mothers, by participating more in the development of society and the economy. Notable among them are Hanta Tiana Rasoarahona (Flore Aroma, bio products based on essential oils) and Matina Razafimahefa (Sayna, training in Internet professions) who have won major social entrepreneurship awards.

In any case, to bring about real change, young people (women and men) sometimes must challenge tradition, fight poor mentalities and not be afraid to act differently!