The Image of Women in the Ait Warayn Amazigh Tribe. A Comparative Paremiological Study

Abstract

In various parts of the world, there is a large number of proverbs that belittle and disparage women. This is the case of the Ait Warayn tribe, the subject of our study, where the representation of women is marked by stereotypes and prejudices from a male perspective, for which reason sexist proverbs are used to assert male dominance and justify gender-based discrimination. This article aims to analyze some of these sayings through a comparative approach. The purpose is to provide a comprehensive overview of the image of this group within this society. At the same time, it seeks to highlight some of their social roles and functions, such as daughter, wife, and mother, as well as to underscore the commonalities and differences between two Mediterranean cultures —Spanish and Moroccan Amazigh— as conveyed through their respective proverb traditions. The analysis reveals a deep-seated misogyny in both traditions, expressed through the animalization of women and the association of the female figure with evil. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that the proverb tradition functions as an ideological vehicle that legitimizes the patriarchal order by confining the Amazigh woman to the domestic sphere and discrediting her sociability. The work also provides a previously unpublished corpus from the Ait Warayn tribe and reveals striking parallels, sometimes literal, with Spanish paremiology.