Women – the Right to a Voice
"Educate one woman and you educate a whole community".
Swahili saying.
What’s the issue?
Pastoralist women remain among the poorest, most oppressed, most scorned and most exploited sector of society. Their situation is a dark picture of human misery painted by powers –that- be who covet pastoralist peoples' land and who would do anything to control power and profits in the global economy.
The redeeming feature in this picture is the struggle of pastoralist women themselves who have persevered despite the odds against them. Their struggle for self-determination and equality is a ray of light for the future of human kind.
Maasai society is patriarchal and polygamous and women suffer from a subordinate position and discriminated rights. They have no right to own property or cattle and regardless of their disproportionate workload have little access to the resources they produce. They also have no right to choose their husbands and are often married by the age of twelve or thirteen. Few will be allowed to continue attending school after they are married and many are illiterate.
What is African Initiatives doing?
Mobilisation
In partnership with PWC and CRT African Initiatives is supporting women in pastoralist communities to participate in traditional and contemporary decision making. African Initiatives works with PWC to strengthen women’s leadership, giving them the confidence and skills to stand for local government – the district assembly – as well as village councils. In fact community organisations were able to throw a local MP out when faced with his corruption, which is an indicator of the increased democracy and accountability at a regional level. There has also been an increase in the awareness of corruption at all levels.
Women and children’s education
Community centres are running classes in adult literacy for women, primary and secondary school preparation for children as well as nurseries. The education component also includes training in human and women’s rights awareness; natural resource management; reproductive health and HIV/AIDS awareness. An indicator of the passion Maasai women have for education is that they are holding harambee's (local fund-raising events) to build and run community education centres. It is through knowledge that women and their communities will be empowered and enabled to change their lives and fight for their rights.
Economic Help
Livestock is the key to economic empowerment for Pastoralist women; for example milk can be turned into butter and therefore traded to gain profit. Initially men would not allow them land to graze or access to water sources and women had no market to sell or exchange goods. However eventually after 3-4 years, with the help of a witch doctor, and for the first time in Maasai history; women got access to grazing land and water and the Maasai begun to realise the economic value of livestock. The profits that women make through trade are put towards girl’s education.
Women’s Solidarity Boma (homestead)
The Women’s Solidarity Boma is the first time Maasai women have secured rights to livestock, grazing and water. Women are now involved in small scale gardening and raising livestock. PWC has established a Women's Solidarity Boma (a traditional homestead) where the women have built up a large herd. This boma is especially important since in Maasai society, women are not considered able to own livestock themselves, independently of their husbands. This boma allows these women an opportunity to manage their own project, to generate income and to use this asset to fund girls in education. But most importantly it established the right of women to own livestock, the primary economic and social status in Maasai society
Advocacy
The economic security and educational activities of PWC are a prerequisite base from which women can start asserting and claiming their rights to local institutions, the government, donors and other NGOs. African Initiatives provides information and briefing on important issues, training on advocacy strategies and media skills, and we lobby on behalf of PWC's interest in the UK and Europe.
Achievements so far: the Facts
* Maasai women have built up a large herd of 248 cows, sheep, goats and donkeys at the Boma.
* For the first time in Maasai history women have got access to grazing land and water.
* The Women’s Credit project has established 15 savings and credit groups with 100% repayments.
* Village councils and Natural Resource sub-committees now contain 33% women.