Crivello, G., Boyden, J. and Pankhurst, A. (2019) “‘Motherhood in childhood’: Generational change in Ethiopia,” Feminist Encounters: A Journal of Critical Studies in Culture and Politics, 3(1-2).
This article reflected on changes in the expectations and experiences of female childhood by using narratives of marriage and motherhood from three generations of Ethiopian women. It contended that for the younger generation of women, marriage and motherhood remained essential steps to achieve full adult status and were highly regarded sources of feminine identity. The evidence suggested that norms are increasingly internalised by girls and their families as the timing and social significance of marriage and motherhood are changing. The younger generation of women spend longer periods in school and delay the transition to adulthood. These developments mark a changing gender script for young women, mapping a normative trajectory from childhood schooling, to adult employment, followed by marriage and motherhood.
From a generational and life course perspective, the article investigated the shifting role of “motherhood” in the lives of girls and young women, their mothers, and grandmothers and it focused on “motherhood in childhood” in the context of swift social change. Key drivers for early marriage for some of the girls in the younger generation were the need to marry young and start a family because of a desire to live independently, as well as the pressure to fulfil domestic duties in the natal household. Girls in Ethiopia typically start preparing for “motherwork” at around age 5, and by age 12 many are regularly performing household chores without adult supervision. Some are also taking on the responsibility of caring for sick parents and grandparents, occasionally missing school. Young women are expected to develop very specific skills, many of which revolve around cooking, cleaning and other household chores.
In conclusion, the article draws on narratives of marriage and motherhood from three generations of Ethiopian women to reflect on changes in the expectations and experiences of female childhood. It argues that marriage and motherhood are highly valued sources of feminine identity and prerequisites for transitioning to full adult status, but these transitions are increasingly contested due to rapid social and economic change. Evidence suggests that these norms are internalised by girls and their families, leading to a changing gender script for young women. The lived experiences of the younger generation of women reveal complex, nuanced, and contradictory expressions of female agency. Marriage and motherhood remain realities despite policy approaches, and the expansion of schooling has led to shifts in Ethiopian girls’ roles and imagined futures.