Discrimination
Traditional sayings sometimes reflect structures of power and dominance in society and contribute to the exclusion of entire groups. For example, the traditional Arabic saying “Consulting a woman leads to a year of destruction” reinforces the exclusion of women from decision-making. When phrases like this are repeated they contribute to negative and harmful views of women in society, leading to their marginalisation.
- What other traditional sayings can you think of that marginalise a group of people?
- How do sayings such as these affect society?