Anlo Ewe-Speaking People of Ghana

The Anlo people of Ghana migrated from western Nigeria due to warfare. They relocated and still inhabit what is now known as Ghana, Togo, and Benin. The population was severely diminish by the slave trade. The language spoken by the Anlo people is Ewe, which varies in dialect mostly on jargon and sound of speech. This is due to the fact that when Europe started to colonize Africa the colonies were shared by Britain, France and Germany, which has caused political problems to this day. The connection of chiefs to the spiritual world strengthens their dominance in politics by portraying women as wicked and harmful and lowering their status and role in the Ewe community with religious belief that are imposed by force or punishment.

Today, The Ewe people are politically organized by a large chiefdom with loose alliances. Their main subsistence is agriculture and fishing. The economy is dominated by agriculture selling products like cocoa and yam but also fish, salt and interestingly edible clay, which is also use as art to display cultural traditions. The political hierarchy starts with chiefs at the top usually a male elder, though due to modernization chiefs are elected by agreement. Chiefs are seen as mediators between this world and the spiritual world, thus power and property are distributed through the male side of the family (patrilineal). The patriarchal society causes for unequal treatment towards women. It is a culture norm for women to marry the deceased husband’s brother in order to keep the wealth in the family (levirate).

Additionally, women believe aggression and abuse is the norm since the “Ghanaian culture [demands] that women be submissive to their husbands [and] condone male superiority” (Amoakohene). Many don’t real...

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