matriarch:
(plural: ‘matriarchs‘; male: ‘patriarch‘; pronunciation: the letters ‘ch’ are said with a ‘k’ sound as in “king” — for the right pronunciation of this word, please click here)
Matriarch Janet Omotogor Ibru, Nigeria
a woman who is the head of her family or her tribe;
(in everyday usage) a woman who takes control of a group of people or an activity;
a highly respected woman in the society;
present British matriarch — the Queen (M) with her daughter-in-law (R) and granddaughter (L)
The women/mothers (the women settlers) who suffered a lot in the early days of building the United States of America are often affectionately called the ‘founding mothers of America’ or the ‘matriarchs of America’.
In some societies in Kerala, South India, the homes and communities are run by matriarchs.
Some people concern about the decrease in morals and the bad state of discipline in our societies believe that the present high crime rate is the result of non-existence of real matriarchs who, in the past, being the centres of power of a family of three or four generations, wielding power and controlling the families, often instilling moral values in their families even by force.
