Gender Role Transformation in the Traditional Marriage Practices of the Muna Ethnic Group in Bone Tondo Village (1977-2022)

Abstrak

This study aims to describe the customary marriage process of the Muna people and to examine the role of women within these rituals in Bone Tondo Village, Bone District, Muna Regency. Employing a qualitative descriptive historical approach with a structuralist framework, the research reveals that the traditional marriage sequence known locally as gaa angkamata remains intact across fourteen distinct stages. A focal stage, kafena (the formal betrothal ceremony), assigns women a central, clearly defined role: eight female delegates from both bride’s and groom’s families execute specific ritual functions, from presenting betel boxes to acting as principal negotiators. Their active participation demonstrates that women in Muna society are not merely symbolic participants but also decision‑makers and custodians of cultural values. These findings underscore the enduring, structured gender roles embedded in the Muna customary marriage system

Kata kunci

• Bone Tondo
• Customary Marriage
• Gaa Angkamata
• Kafena
• Muna Women