Designing apparel for the global stage inspired by Bakiga proverbs to depict women’s social status.

Abstract

The Rukiga language is represented in an oral culture which manifests a propagation of art forms expressing the Bakiga’s wealth of music, dance, drama and other oral art forms(Kanyesigye, 2019). The Rukiga culture is engraved in speech usage with proverbs that can be used for apparel/clothing in the oral expression of the Bakiga artefacts. This study selected some of these proverbs to design apparel for the global stage that could depict women’s social status. Geographical lines have been demystified by the access through technology, the internet and travel. They present a “glocal”- global stage space that presents vast opportunities for exchange and exposure. Proverbs were and are part of the communication channels and the global stage, the study sought to view proverbs on the global stage in order to depict women’s social status. While establishing that patriarchal structures and values are transmitted through proverbs, the study also interrogated the selected proverbs’ meanings and messages within a set context, as such messages could be context-bound. Women may, therefore, use proverbs to discuss, contest and, from time to time navigate gender ideologies to depict the women’s social status on the global stage. The study employed a cross-sectional research design and semi-structured questionnaires to collect data from a randomised population. In addition, a creative design studio exploration was conducted so as to explore the tactile and visual quality of the selected proverbs. The studio exploration study provided a forum to create apparel with inspiration from the selected Bakiga proverbs. This process increased the space for discussion, exposure, and awareness of the selected proverbs. The fashion designs presentation in a digital format for the global stage presented a discourse forum breaking geographical boundaries and giving voice to the local proverbs and the pertinent engendered context masked within these proverbs through the global feminist phenomenon. The study analysis indicated that gender inequality existed massively before this modern time, it had reduced; incidences that still exist today are being aggressively dealt with by especially with the civil society entities and human rights institutions and agents. The increased literacy and education rates have also played a role in raising the awareness levels. The analysis further indicated that there are such efforts to dissuade the misinterpretation of the proverbs during translation into universal languages onto the global stage. Furthermore, the usage of proverbs that stereotype women, has progressively and significantly reduced. Commendable numbers of people are using proverbs that are affirmative and praise women as the backbone of the family and a nation on the global stage. It is therefore imperative that stereotypical proverbs against women are less entertained in this modern era in order to depict and uphold a positive social status.