Matriarch transports viewers to four long-established but largely unknown matriarchal societies through the eyes of four females—a Khasi Indian girl that everyone expects to rule one day, an adolescent Tuareg African growing into womanhood, a Mosuo Chinese mother at a crossroads in mid-life, and a Minangkabau Indonesian grandmother protecting her clan’s future.
See what it’s like to grow up and grow old in a woman’s world.
As more women enter leadership roles, there is growing discussion about the potential benefits of female-led organizations and societies. Many celebrate the success of movies like Wonder Woman and Captain Marvel as cultural touchstones for gender equality.
But this “alternate” universe of wonder women and female-centered societies already exists. Amongst us, today, in this world! Instead of limiting ourselves to what we can imagine from a patriarchal world, we can learn directly from these contemporary matriarchies.
And there is much we can learn. Matriarchies are not simply inverses of patriarchies with women at the top instead of men.
EQUALITY: Women-centered societies tend to be more egalitarian, with men and women participating equally in decision-making.
EQUITABILITY: Many matriarchies run on a “gift economy” based on mutual exchange and community—leading to more equitable distribution of resources and wealth.
NON-VIOLENCE: The result? A less violent and more peaceable culture where everyone feels included.
The Minang
West Sumatra, Indonesia
The Minangkabau is the largest, and arguably the most powerful, matriarchal community in the world. Despite the influence of Islam (the Minang converted to Islam in the 1500s) and Dutch colonial oppression (the Minang were under Dutch rule from the 1800s to 1945), the Minangkabau continue to live by traditional matriarchal customs and values today.
The Mosuo
Yunnan, China
The Mosuo is an ethnic minority living amongst the world’s largest ethnic group, the Han Chinese, under Communist rule in the People’s Republic of China. The Chinese government has been actively promoting tourism to the region, and continues to do so today. Many Chinese refer to the Mosuo as “The Kingdom of Women.”
The Tuareg
The Sahel, Niger
In contrast to most matriarchies’ peaceable cultural heritage, the Tuaregs are descended from a warrior queen—Queen Tin Hinan. Even though the Tuaregs are Muslim, Tuareg women have traditionally enjoyed much freedom and independence. They are an interesting study of a matriarchal community in flux, under pressure from environmental, political and religious forces.
The Khasi
Meghalaya, India
The Khasi has a unique matriarchal tradition where the youngest daughter inherits the family property. They are the only matriarchal community we have encountered with a well-documented men’s rights movement looking to overturn matriarchal customs. Even though many of the Khasi converted to Christianity in the 18th century, they have maintained their matriarchal traditions. (Scouting for our Khasi protagonist in 2020.)
In the field in West Sumatra, Indonesia
Time is running out. Matriarchal societies are “on the knife-edge of extinction” as “smart phones, tourism and the cash economy take over,” writes Choo Wai-Hung, author of Kingdom of Women. Support us in our mission to document the world’s last surviving female-led societies before their distinctive ways of life are lost.
