The women in Segu live their lives only to marry and bear children. According to tradition, men could only marry women of their own kind. However, in rare instances women of a different clan would be given as a concubine because of things such as unpaid taxes. “As she was both foreign and captive, Dousika hadn’t been able to marry her…” In these circumstances the women could not be taken as wives because mixed marriages were looked down upon, as shown. As says in the text, “Where they angry at the unnatural alliance between the Fulani woman and the Bambara man?”

As a result of becoming a concubine, the woman would have no say in the family, even concerning her own children. They belonged to the father and she would not be able to make decisions on their behalf. Whe

Another point is that the women never passed judgments for the family. Generally, the man would have the most say of the household. “In the shade the women and children sat to tell stories, the men to make family decisions.”

Lastly, in the relationships between a man and a woman, the woman would generally be more submissive to the man. She would be taught from her youth that a woman’s job is to comply with and revere her husband, as well as take care of him and be at his side like his slave. A woman would do whatever her husband requested without query. “ ‘I’ll do whatever you like,’ she murmured.”

Also, only the first wife could be regard as an equal part to the husband, because of her status. Dousika admits this when he says, “But she was the first wife, his bara muso, to whom he had delegated part of his authority and who could therefore address him as an equal.”

n asked about a family matter, Sira replied, “ ‘It’s not my family,’ she said. ‘It’s your son’s…’”

So, in conclusion, the women here are portrayed as a figure of obedience and respected the power of the man in charge. And never did the “inferior” woman question that power.

Even though the women seem

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Conde Segu, , captive dousika, wife wife,