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How did Aboriginal women and men traditionally divide food-gathering work?
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Australian Aboriginal peoples
Aboriginal people from Galiwnku Island gathering to watch the proceedings at which Prime Minister Kevin Rudd formally apologized to the Aboriginal peoples of Australia for their mistreatment under earlier Australian governments, February 2008.
In traditional Aboriginal society, the division of labour was primarily sex-based, though all adults generally possessed the skills necessary to survive independently if required.1
- Men: Typically focused on hunting large game. Their contributions were often governed by complex kinship obligations, and large game was consistently butchered and distributed among all members of the band.1
- Women: Primarily responsible for collecting vegetable foods and hunting small game, such as lizards. In most regions, women provided the majority of the group's daily food intake, estimated at 60 to 80 percent depending on the season and location.1
While men’s networks of obligation were often wider—frequently involving the exchange of meat for ritual knowledge—women’s gathered food was not typically shared throughout the entire band in the same manner. Additionally, while women were the primary child minders, children often foraged in groups, and girls were expected to begin contributing as providers as they approached their teens.1