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Paper short abstract:

Kanga is a traditional garment of Swahili women on which proverbs or short sayings are printed. Gossip or warnings through kanga are widespread and show the power of silent communication that takes place in Kenya and Tanzania, which must be done carefully so as not to threaten one’s face.

Paper long abstract:

A silent way of communication among Swahili women takes place in Kenya and Tanzania by means of a cloth worn around the body on which words, proverbs or short sayings are printed. The Kanga is the traditional clothing of Swahili women and their everyday outfit, which is bought because of the colour, but also because of the words. Women who are subject to the rules of respect use the Kanga to openly warn others.

This presentation is about the power of silent communication. Wearing a Kanga is one side of the coin. The other is admitting to wearing it in front of others, which is just as face threatening as actually wearing it. We will highlight the hidden ways women use to communicate what should not be communicated, to admit that they are communicating the unspeakable without losing face, and at the same time to satisfy women's pleasure in gossiping.

Silence, as experienced in this research, was an extremely powerful silence that restored women's dignity. By being able not to talk about their own gossip and, more importantly, how they gossiped, women were able to maintain their social power within the group.

We will give examples from two different research settings in Kenya and Tanzania and elaborate on the importance of face-saving acts.