Who makes African textiles?
A. In Africa, both men and women make textiles, and sometimes the form of the textile provides a clue to the maker’s gender. For example, in much of West Africa, narrow-strip cloth, such as the acclaimed kente cloth of Ghana, is woven by men. Men often add embroidered details, as well, whether the garment is made from narrow-strip, broad-loom or factory-made cloth. In contrast, broad-loom cloth is generally woven by women in West Africa. In parts of Central Africa, men and women work together: men weave the broad-loom raffia fiber cloth, but women add the sewing and embroidery. Beaded textiles from southern Africa are generally made by women. Dyeing is done by both men and women, depending on region.
