By Megha Rana
The Maasai tribe of Kenya is a strict patriarchal society, where the men lead and hold all decision-making power. Traditionally, the woman’s role is to follow all male decisions while staying at home, tending to children and performing household duties.
Maasai women are deeply connected to their land and efforts to preserve their communities. They have in-depth knowledge of local wildlife and the local ecology, making them ideal candidates to work on conservation efforts. But until recently, the community structure has denied them the opportunity to use their unique skills at a professional level.
In 2019, a group of young Maasai women stepped forward to challenge these long-held gender roles. Sponsored by the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), they created Team Lioness, the first unit of all-women rangers in Kenya.
The women of Team Lioness are part of a ranger unit that protects the traditional land surrounding the Amboseli National Park. They are trained as anti-poaching rangers, acting as a first line of defense against the poaching of elephants, lions, giraffes, cheetahs, and other wildlife.
(Paolo Torchio/IFAW)
These Maasai women were the first females in their community’s history to secure employment. They are determined to shift gender roles so women have opportunity. According to Purity Lakara, one of these first proud Maasai rangers,
“Women are only allowed to stay at home, looking after their kids and giving birth. We are not meant to stay just at home. No. We are educated to come and change the world. So that’s what we are doing right now.”
IFAW’s East African director, James Isiche, said this project was a tough pitch to the elders of the Maasai community. The patriarchal structure made it difficult to convince them to allow IFAW to recruit Team Lioness.
In the end, Team Lioness has become so successful that there are plans to recruit even more women of the Maasai community, as well as create similar anti-poaching squads in other areas around Africa. Ultimately, Team Lioness is breaking boundaries and building opportunities for not only themselves, but also for other women of the Maasai community.
Sources:
https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/maasai-women-kenya-safari-reopening/index.html
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/kenya-maasai-women-defy-gender-norms-anti-poaching-rangers-team-lioness/
https://www.ifaw.org/projects/team-lioness