12 Anyangwe/Extrajudicial killings of women in Africa Religion thus promotes the idea that the woman must be docile, obedient, submissive and subordinate to the man ‘as head of the family’, and that she must avoid tempting him by exposing her body, something that makes no sense in traditional African contexts where both men and women are thinly accoutred. There are instances where the rapist’s defence consists in blaming the woman for the rape perpetrated on her, arguing that she tempted him by the ‘indecent’ way she dressed. To ‘protect’ the man from such wily temptation it appears that some Islam teachings ordain that the woman must cover herself from head to toe, including her eyes since she is capable of communicating amorous messages even with her eyes. Most socialised behaviour is institutionalised through patriarchy. For example, some women appear to have been socialised into thinking that they have to be looked after and be kept by men, even if they earn an income. Some women also appear to have been socialised to think and to believe that their proper place is at home, bearing children, doing house chores, cooking, looking after the children and the men, and being accommodative of her in-laws in all circumstances. Socialisation in a patriarchal society includes the cultural instruction that men are superior to women. This socially defined status of inferiority and subordination of women to men has ultimately been internalised by some women and is deeply embedded in their minds. The attitude of male dominance and female submissiveness creates a situation whereby the man feels entitled to ‘discipline’ his ‘stubborn’ female partner in order to ‘put her in her place’. This form of socialisation contributes to violence against women, including instances of perpetration of femicide. The unequal power relationship between men and women manifests itself in male dominance and female subordination. This provides the setting within which the man considers that he has the right, as a male, to coerce his ‘stubborn, strong-headed, independent-minded and nagging’ woman to submission through various violent acts, including killing in some instances.37 In a patriarchal society, patrilineal descent recognises consanguinity among males as more important than relations through affinity.38 Some African societies have the matrilineal and matrilocal systems of kinship arrangements. Under such arrangements the husband is generally in a position of dependence upon his wife’s family and, the children of marriages in such systems tend to look upon their maternal uncles as more important than their fathers.39 But that is exceptional. The social organisations in most African societies have a kinship system that is patrilineal and patriarchal. Under that system women move to their husbands’ home upon marriage. The husband’s family assumes total responsibility over her by providing for her material and emotional needs. This sounds good. But, in reality, the migration of the 37 38 39 Okin (n 33 above). WLSA (n 36 above) 34. TO Elias The nature of African customary law (1956) 101.