The Power of Language in the Discourse on Women's Rights: Some Examples from Tanzania

The primary object of this paper is to contribute to the work of living-law scholars by adding an element of language to their research agenda. It is argued that language as a means of social interaction constitutes a powerful medium for the construction and transmission of culture. As a medium of communication, language expresses hidden notions of power, although at a superficial level the ideas and meanings contained in ordinary words are often assumed to be universally accepted by those who speak the language. The main questions raised in this paper are: in what way has language been used as an expression of power? how does legal language reflect and reinforce male dominance over women and, more generally, gender bias? what can and ought to be done? The paper shows the relevance of language to the work currently being done by living-law scholars and suggests possible areas of cooperation between lawyers and scholars of language and gender.