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.