Gender Inequality

She would be given a container small enough for her age to carry water in or when fetching firewood, small bundle would be tied for her to carry home. At that age she will also be left with younger siblings to take care of. Sitting style, which was usually with legs held tightly together was important for a girl to learn. This they said portrayed good manners of a Masai girl. She was not allowed to play careless games like climbing trees or playing football. Those were games meant for boys according to the custom. The importance of these teachings was to make her a good wife or mother when she is raising her own family in future.
             Boys of the same age on the other hand were not required to do much. Their work was to look after the family animals in the field. At the age of between 5-8 years they looked after young animals like calves and also they learnt how to hunt small animals like hares and birds. They were discouraged from performing any household chores, which were considered feminine by the community. It was not unusual to see boys becoming violent against girls to prove their masculinity as they were meant to believe that they are superior than them. Girls on the other hand, believed they are weaker and therefore could not match the boys" strength while fighting. They had their own kraal where they ate and were told stories by a grandfather. They were taught their roles in the society as men while girls went with their mothers to milk and cook for the family. Looking at the two however, you will notice that chores performed by boys were a little lighter than those performed by girls.
             Passage to Adulthood.
             After the circumcision rite, which was performed at the age of 10-12 years, girls were given thorough lessons to usher them into adulthood. They were considered adults and eligible for marriage thus ready to bear children. They were taught how a responsible wife should behave and how she should take care of the husband and the family as a whole.