by Janine Häbel
Abstract
This paper explores the lived experiences of breadwinning women in urban Northern Tanzania, challenging the pervasive masculinity bias that frames economic provision as an inherently masculine role. Drawing on long-term ethnographic fieldwork, it examines how women—often single, separated, or in long-distance partnerships—elude patriarchal control, not through overt resistance but by cultivating alternative forms of authority grounded in motherhood, relational embeddedness, and economic contribution. Many do so by remaining (ostensibly) single, strategically distancing themselves from a patriarchal framework that associates femininity with submissiveness. Instead, they embody a socially valued femininity centred on provision and communal care—a model this paper terms breadwinner femininity. In a context where motherhood often takes precedence over marriage as a marker of social adulthood, these women assert a respected womanhood rooted in leadership, responsibility and care. Their economic strength is frequently invested in their children’s well-being and education, enhancing their moral authority and garnering communal respect. Drawing on African feminist perspectives, the paper critiques rigid gender binaries and advocates for more plural, relational and female-affirming models of power. Ultimately, it argues for an expanded gender analysis of the intersection of seniority, economic strength, and caregiving as key to understanding feminine power and social legitimacy in African contexts and beyond.
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01_FA2025_Vol6.2-TGD_Feature-Article_Habel_7-11-25