Statut social, répartition sexuelle des tâches et rôle socioéconomique des femmes esclaves dans le Baoulé précolonial

Before colonization, Baoulé society assigned social roles based on gender: men and women performed specific tasks deemed appropriate to their sex. However, this division was not applied equally to everyone, particularly enslaved women. This study shows that, although they assisted their mistresses, enslaved women did not fully enjoy the rights associated with femininity in the gender-based division of labor. Based on oral interviews conducted in several Baoulé villages and the analysis of colonial written sources, the research reveals that enslaved status restricted women's access to certain gender-based protections. Often considered movable property, they were forced to carry out tasks deemed masculine, especially when there was a shortage of male slaves. Moreover, their reproductive role within the servile system deprived them of any rights over their children, who automatically became the master's property. This study thus highlights a double marginalization: enslaved women were denied the privileges granted to free women and subjected to a system that exploited both their bodies and their labor, disregarding the gender norms that otherwise governed Baoulé society.