Final major project #6 Researching about the Sudanese tobe
The Sudanese women’s national dress had emerged in the 1800s, it was called the tobe. The national dress symbolised womanhood, socioeconomic status but also served as a platform as a platform for women to express their political views when silenced. Women “strategically and creatively named new styles of the tobe” (Nabag, 2016, p.12) to enter political and social conversations within Sudan and the world. Then as now, the tobe’s ability to carry multiple messages has made it a vital instrument in women’s activism. In April of 2019, Alaa Saleh gained world-wide media attention from a picture of her taken by Lana Haroun. She represented the young generation of Sudanese women, wearing the tobe with a pair of Nike Air Max. However, “woven into the threads of her garment is a rich history of women’s education, work, and activism” (Stanford University blog, 2019).
A little background:
“The low damuriyya tobe were made of locally manufactured roughspun cloth and name for al-Damer, a town in the northeast. The “Bengali,” a midquality tone edged with a blue stripe and favoured by midwives and teachers, was imported from Bengal…the “Tootal” tone was a general term used for the highest-quality tobes manufactured by the Manchester company Tootal, Broadhurst, and Lee “(Nabag, 2016, p.40). “Tobe names operate in much the same way as a headline or photograph: they do not tell the whole story, but provide invaluable clues to the interests, values and experiences of Sudanese women.(Nabag, 2016, p.90). ” “During the 1970s, economic restrictions prevented the Tootal tobes from being sold in Sudan.31 [In London] British cloth manufactures knew how meaningful and important the tobe was to Sudanese women. The involvement of the Tootal tobe manufacturer became evident when in the late 1950s the company solicited suggestions of tobe names from members of the leading activist group, the Sudanese Women’s Union” Nabag, 2016, p.32).
Here are some names of tobes:
- The Post Office Pen (1915)– “highlights a sense of connection and possibility in a modern age [created as result of a] …reconstruction of post office and [even though] women wouldn’t step inside a post office on [their] own but they had a pen which allowed them to write letters. The pen on a chain in the Khartoum post office was not a gag or a novelty, but a very real indicator of imperial systems and progress (Nabag, 2016, p.90). “
- Rimush Awlad Burri, “Eyelashes of the Burri Boys” (1940s) a popular band at the time,
- The Russian Satellite (1960s) -“Sudanese women expressed their excitement for moving beyond established boundaries, whether that be exploring their capital city at night or the edge of space”(Brown, 2017)
- “The Sound of Music” (1960s) referred to popular culture (Nabag, 2016, p.12).
- “The Doctor’s Ribs” (1930s) referred to the first graduating class of Sudanese doctors from Kitchener Medical School” (Nabag, 2016, p.12).
- ‘The Diplomatic Corps,” “The Political Corps,” and “Administrative Corps,” followed after Sudan’s independence from Great Britain in 1956(Nabag, 2016, p.12).
- Freedom, independence, and The Republic – The existence of (at least) three tone commemorating the same event is indicative of the excitement that coursed through the new state(Brown, 2017, p.160)
- Azhari at the Airport – “combined the allure of rapid transit with the hope of independence politics. (Al-Azhari was a Sudanese prime minister)”(Brown, 2017, p.160)
- Abu Gigaija – “by the 1950s the white tobe was a symbol of a workingwoman and granted entry for women to enter into public spaces” (Nabag, 2016, p.12).
- Aspou Al-Mar’a – Womens week (Nabag, 2016, p.27).
- Shamal-Naseem
- Al-Kadir
- Al-Dala
- Police Al-Najda (the traffic police) and others.
“The rhetorical function of the tobe challenges existing presumptions that Sudan’s political sphere was an entirely male space. To date, historians have paid little attention to Sudanese women’s sociopolitical consciousness, arguing that low levels of education and a conservative harem culture limited their civic engagement” (Brown, 2017, p.161). It is important that women participate in political and social conversations because as mentioned by a “group of progressive reformers like Bedri, who argued that women’s segregation from social and political spheres was detrimental to the strength of modern nations. women…stood as a measure of society’s modernity and civility as a whole” (Nabag, 2016, p.20). “In 1953, in one of the country’s first nationalist demonstration, hundreds of women defied the social conventions of seclusion and marched from Omdurman to Khartoum [23.3 km] shouting, “Long live Sudan!” All were wearing white tobes. For the next two decades, women activists from across the political spectrum concisely styled themselves in modest, unassuming clothing so that they might be radical and outspoken in their demands” (Stanford University blog, 2019).
Her tobe has the words “The Union of Sudanese Women” inscribed upon it. She leads a long procession of women and is cheered by the diverse crowd of men. The caption, taken from the Union’s own literature reads: “For the sake of education; for the sake of respectable life in marriage and work; For the sake of mothers and healthy children; For the sake of society moving forward with men and women together. The illustration depicts a bold vision, not an actual event. Wrapped in a tone and illuminated by the fire of knowledge, women marched towards respectability and modernity, encouraged on by cheers” (Brown, 2017, p.128).
“Fatima Ahmed Ibrahim. Upon being elected the first woman to serve in Sudan’s Parliament in 1956…In the hands of Fatima Ahmed Ibrahim and her peers, the tone and modest behaviours were instruments of activism that created a literal space for women’s bodies on the political stage” (Brown, 2017, p.137). “At a national conference in 1969, activist and first female member of Sudan’s Parliament, Fatima Ahmed Ibrahim argued that women’s rights were in keeping with Sudanese traditions. As evidence of this, Ibrahim asked the audience to compare her tobe with the western business suit of then-President Gaafar Numeiri, who stood next to her.” (Stanford University blog, 2019). This clothing comparison is very important, and it really frames the mentality arguably most people have.
In Ebti Nabag dissertation, she interviewed women of two generations to understand what the tobe meant for a mother and her daughter. Nabag opened a larger dialogue that revealed “history of the garment, and contrasting views between the generations”. I think this way of interviewing is interesting and could highlight what to really present about the tobe.
The pictures of her exhibit has me think of the possible way I could create a more inclusive and interactive space.
References:
Brown, M.G.(2017) Khartoum at night: fashion and body politics in imperial Sudan. United States: Stanford University Press
Stanford University blog (2019) ‘ HISTORY STANDS ALONGSIDE THE WOMAN IN THE WHITE TOBE’, Stanford University blog, 14 May. Available at: https://stanfordpress.typepad.com/blog/2019/05/history-stands-alongside-the-woman-in-the-white-tobe.html
Nabag, E. (2012) Movement in tradition: tobe. B.A. Thesis.University of Ontario Institute of Technology. Available at: https://tinyurl.com/y6uvj5cm