An intersectional analysis of structural violence against the Mannas (Potters) in Dawuro, Southwest Ethiopia

This study examines the stigmatization and social marginalization of the Manaas, a potter subgroup among the Dawuro people of Southwest Ethiopia, who are widely feared and ostracized due to beliefs about their possession of the evil eye. Drawing on qualitative fieldwork conducted across the districts in Dawuro zone, the research explores how the Manaas are systematically excluded from social, economic, and ritual life—denied access to land, education, marriage opportunities, and even burial spaces—despite their vital roles as producers of pottery and facilitators of ritual purification. The study employs an integrated theoretical framework combining structural violence theory, stigma theory, and pollution-purity concepts to analyze how the evil eye belief reinforces caste-based hierarchies. Findings reveal that the Manaas occupy a paradoxical position: they are simultaneously feared as polluters due to alleged consumption of tabooed foods and relied upon as ritual specialists who cleanse impurity. Intersectional analysis (Crenshaw in Univ Chic Legal Forum 19891:139–67, 1989) further highlights how Manaa women face compounded discrimination as both evil-eyed individuals and female artisans. The study documents how political upheavals—particularly Ethiopia’s 2018 reforms-exacerbated violence against the Manaas, including land dispossession and physical attacks. By exposing the mechanisms through which cultural beliefs sustain structural inequality, this research contributes to broader discussions on caste-based marginalization in Africa and offers insights for anti-stigma interventions that address both material and symbolic dimensions of oppression.