This museum tour will give one a look into how gender is represented in societies throughout Mid and West Africa. Not only will one see the the varying elements of how communities depict gender, one will also see the differences in how specific elements of a gender are valued compared to others. Gender can be depicted through many mediums but also represented in other ways. It is common for artwork to have interlocking characteristics with more than one trait. This makes it interesting to evaluate these sculptures, dances, masquerades and other pieces of artwork, and see the resemblance even though some pieces are coming from such diverse communities.
Gender representation can be expressed in countless varieties and is a subject that is seen and experienced across the globe. The subject of gender in African communities lets us examine the history of those gender values, specific relationships between women and men, women and fertility, the creation of gender hierarchies, and the cultural construction of the relationship between sexuality and gender.
There are various ways that one can sub-categorize gender representation among African communities. Gender balance, practices and unity are evident in these cultures and the objects, masquerades, and practices that are used as examples throughout this tour only give more insight onto the culture and how the male and female are embodied.