Who are the Maasai?
The Maasai tribe is an ethnic group living in Kenya and northern Tanzania. Despite the passage of time, they've maintained a traditional lifestyle as pastoral nomads, who herd cattle and goats and live in small, temporary huts built from natural materials. However, this lifestyle is facing several threats, due to external forces such as land acquisitions and droughts.
A closer look at the regions of Tanzania...
Mesha is located in the Arusha region
What is life like for Maasai girls?
Maasai society is heavily patriarchal. Men make most major decisions, and take many wives. The number of cattle, but more importantly, the number of children he has, determines his wealth.
As a result, Maasai girls face extreme cultural oppression. Less than 50% of Maasai girls enroll in school, and only 10% of those enrolled make it to secondary school.
Instead, most girls experience child marriages, in exchange for a dowry, and aren't allowed to divorce. Additionally, they are often forced to participate in female genital mutilation ceremonies before these marriages.
Maasai women live a difficult lifestyle — rising early to milk cows, walking miles to fetch water and wash clothes, and gathering heavy loads of firewood. Not to mention, they will have many children regardless of their health or ability to provide for them. Their life expectancy is only 45 years.
What is FGM?
Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is a deleterious practice that includes the cutting or removal of external genitals, such as the clitoris. In some communities FGM is believed to be a religious requirement, even though research has shown that it predates Islam and Christianity.
FGM is most commonly known as a cultural tradition, which is one of the reasons supporting its continuation today. The practice represents modesty and femininity, and is seen as proper sexual behavior. Due to its long history, it is very difficult for women and girls to escape the social pressures to undergo FGM.
What drives forced child marriages?
The practice of child marriage, or matrimonial slavery, deprives girls of the ability to make crucial decisions regarding their sexual health and overall well-being. It compels them to abandon education, leading to a future marked by limited opportunities and a heightened susceptibility to violence, abuse, poor health, or premature death. Research shows that one in every three women in Tanzania marries before the age of eighteen.
Poverty is a common thread linking the communities that child marriages still occur in. Families facing economic hardships often find it challenging to meet basic needs such as food and clothing for their children, let alone cover expenses associated with education. Consequently, numerous families opt to marry off their daughters as a way to provide economic security. In some cases, these girls may even consent to early marriage as a means of escaping hardships at home, often unaware that this will only bring more hardships.