'POGMINGA'—THE 'PROPER DAGARA WOMAN': AN ENCOUNTER BETWEEN CHRISTIAN THOUGHT AND DAGARA CONCEPTS

Abstract To retain respect among members of their own society, urban professional women originating from northern Ghana maintain a rural concept of proper women. This article explores how, historically, both Catholic missionaries and the Dagara people changed this concept. To the women, the ability to speak their minds and be self-confident, attributes accorded to the concept mainly by the Catholic women's orders, help them in their professional careers. In meetings with their own people, they still know how to revert to the quiet, reserved and humble person that a woman from their home area is supposed to be, at least in public.