“Basali ba lifemeng”:1 Gender Stereotyping and the Low Absorption of Male Labour in Lesotho’s Textile Industry

Abstract

This article explores the low absorption of male labour in Lesotho’s textile industry. The research adopted a qualitative approach to interrogate dynamics in the industry and perspectives from social actors, including textile employees, key individuals and members of society. It revealed that the dynamics of change in the industry, particularly the technological leaps achieved by some factories, have created opportunities for men but have not necessarily resulted in changes in societal gender stereotypes, namely how society defines specific occupations as either masculine or feminine. Men working in textiles encounter barriers related to widespread and unchallenged stereotypes, characterised by denigration and feminisation by sections of society. The article concludes by alluding to the significance of paying attention to gender stereotypes embedded in societal and historical dynamics in seeking to understand the situation of men in the industry, and the potential implications of the introduction of technology in the industry.