The Maasai tribe is one of the oldest and most well known tribes throughout Africa. Unlike many tribes, which integrated into society, the Massai tribe has kept to its ancient customs and cultural to this day. Despite living in modern times, the Massai tribe has kept their ancient customs despite the laws that often go against them in Kenya and Tanzania. The gender roles that define the Massai tribe have stayed the same for hundreds of years and are a significant part of their cultural.
Maasai society is strongly patriarchal and almost all major decision involving the tribe are decided by the village elders. Oral laws passed down from generation to generation cover most aspects of their behavior. Maasai men are born and raised to be warriors, while the women spend most of their time learning to cook, clean, prepare food, and other duties they are expected to perform. The central unit of Maasai society is the age-set. Young boys are sent out to take care of calves and lambs and to mostly play. Once the boys are between the ages of twelve and fifteen they are chosen to take the rite of passage to become a warrior. In order to be considered a man, the boys go through a painful process of circumcision. The circumcision ceremony is performed without anesthetic by the village elders. In order to not bring shame to their family, the boys must endure the pain silently without moving. After the ceremony is complete, the young boys wear black for four to eight months. After this, they are considered warriors, and the previous age-set of warriors becomes junior elders and is tasked with political decisions and finally allowed to be married. As warriors, the young Maasai men are tasked with more business involving cattle and traveling. While this is happening, women of the same age are typically getting married, creating a significant age gap in the marriage between husbands and their wives. Young women also go through a similar circumcision ceremony in order to be considered an adult. The ceremony also allows the young women to be considered for arranged marriages at a young age. The Maasai believe that female circumcision is necessary and Maasai men may reject any woman who has not undergone it as either not marriageable or worthy of a much-reduced bride price.
The Maasai are traditionally polygamous; this is thought to be a long standing and practical adaptation to high infant and warrior mortality rates. A woman marries not just her husband, but the entire age group. Men are expected to give up their bed to a visiting age-mate guest. The woman decides strictly on her own if she will join the visiting male. The gender roles of the Maasai tribe define their entire society and cultural.
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