Sexual Oppression Against the Maasai Woman: a Major Focus on Fgm and Forced Marriages and Their Recurrent Consequences Adversely Affecting Her Sexual Worth
Abstract
For a long time women have been regarded as second class in all societies
across the world and though the problems faced by each group/society take
different forms each and every woman has an issue which needs to be
addressed by law. To this end, the Maasai woman is not in any way peculiaronly
a study model.
Women in the Maasai community are generally regarded as inferior to men.
They are regarded as property and expected to bow to the expectations of their
men and to treat them as their masters. They are taught from childhood that
males were considered to be superior.
This attitude has invaded every aspect of these women's relations to their male
counterparts and to a great extent their sexuality has been left to the control of
men.
It is against this traditional background that I propose to look at the status of
the Maasai woman and the effects of traditional attitudes and practices on her
sexuality.
It is necessary to understand that women/girls are socialized from the very
beginning to accept their situation and the ideology of male supremacy, which
makes them prey to a whole range of discriminatory practices 1
Eradication of gender discrimination with regard to the employment and
control of the woman's sexuality calls for the recognition of the discriminatory
practices and the actions to remedy their effects and to establish safeguards
against perpetuation.
There is a dire need to look into the laws governing family relations (marriage
laws) and reform those that are oppressive. Law can be used to reinforce or
give permanence to certain social injustices leading to the marginalization of
certain groups of people. This legal systems can also become obstacles when
change is required by the oppressed thus necessitating a further look into what
injustices are intertwined within the legal systems and the extent of their
operation.
Publisher
University of Nairobi
Description
Dissertation Bachelor of Laws (LLB)