The Masai tribe is an ethnic group inhabiting Kenya and parts of Tanzania. They are believed to have wandered from Ethiopia hundreds of years back in search of food and greener pastures. They are best known internationally due to their distinctive customs, culture, traditions and dress. The Masai (tribal) women in Kenya, like most poor women in African nations, are destined to live a life of poverty and cultural oppression. Masai girls are circumcised between the ages of 11 to 13 and soon afterward married to a man chosen by her father in exchange for cattle and cash. A Masai woman will never be allowed to divorce, except in the most egregious cases of physical abuse, and will never be allowed to marry again, even if the husband her father chooses is an old man who dies when she is still in her teens. Instead, she becomes the property of one of her husband’s brothers. She will be one of the multiple wives and will have many children, regardless of her health or ability to provide for them. She will rise early every day to milk cows, and spend her days walking miles to water holes to launder clothes and get water, and to gather heavy loads of firewood to carry back home. If she is lucky, she will have a donkey to share her burden. She will live a life of few physical comforts, dependent on a husband and a family she did not choose. Unfortunately, her life expectancy is around 45 years.
Comments
Hmmm…. felt so sorry 😔…[How lucky rest of the world women..}
Author
Hi Mahi, yes it is indeed sad and unfortunate, but thats how their culture and tradition is. Keep reading my blog, more about the Masais will be coming up. Cheers!
A Sad story , well researched 👏
Author
Thanks ya! It’s a hard life for the tribals but they are all used to the kind of life for centuries and it’s their culture and tradition which they safeguard. Hope you enjoy my stories! Cheers!
What a pity that women always (many a times) bear the brunt of misery! To the extent that it takes a toll on her life span! Any way of educating the Masai men on human values and etiquette of coexisting with women!!!🤗🤗
Author
Yeah Reena, things are slowly changing and a lot of NGOs are working towards it. It will take time but will help surely in the long run. We too do our bit in educating them whenever we interact with the Masai.