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Women suffer in male-dominated societies. Write an essay to validate the truth in this assertion basing your illustrations on Blossoms of the Savannah

Answer Text:
In a typical traditional society, men hold primary power and influence. Blossoms of the Savannah highlights the
suffering women undergo in a male-dominated society. Resian, Taiyo, Mama Milanoi and Minik ene Nkoitoi are characters that are subjected to suffering because of their gender.

Women in Nasila suffer because they are voiceless. Mama Milanoi is voiceless when her husband plans to marry off Resian to Oloisudori. She cannot defend her daughters discouraging him from circumcising their daughters. Mama Milanoi suffers sleepless nights pondering the pain and experience awaiting her daughters yet she remains voiceless. Mama Milanoi is in a dilemma because she is torn between being a dutiful Maa wife and being a protective mother to Taiyo and Resian. As Maa culture dectates, she has no choice but to submit to her husband and Nasila cultural
dictates. This dilemma makes her suffer silently.

Resian suffers for simply being born a girl. Ole Kaelo is infuriated when his second born child turns out to be a girl. He had prayed for a boy but opposite his expectation, Resian is born. The society values boys more than girls. Resian is always sad and aloof owing to her father's mistreatment. As much as she knows her father hates her, she is shocked that he has already sold her to a man she hates with a passion. He does this to secure his wealth but she refuses and is forced to run away from home with the help of Olarinkoi. She not only suffer for being betrayed by his father but also for being left with no other option except to abide by Olarinkoi who is not a lesser devil than the men she is escaping from.

Men in Nasila use FGM to oppress women. Since their relocation to Nasila, the subject of FGM makes Taiyo and Resian feel, hopeless and downcast. While having a conversation with her mother, Resian insists that it the men who force women to do FGM. She feels that FGM is useless today and is only used by men to oppress women. It is the legend Olarinkoi and his people who molested women that made women feel that they needed the cut. Women are considered a wild gender that has to be tamed through FGM. Girls who undergo FGM suffer physical and psychological pain.

Uncircumcised girls are mocked, derided and contemptuously referred to as intoiye nemengalana. Resian is kidnapped by Olarinkoi who wants to forcibly circumcise and marry her. Taiyo is also duped and taken to Esoit village, 5 kilometers away from Nasila, where she is forcibly circumcised so that she can be married to Oloisudori after Resian’s escape.

Minik ene Nkoitoi is treated contemptuously by men in Nasila. Men like Ole Musanka hate her passionately. She is referred to as entagoroi, meaning wasp, a name for a sharp-tongued woman. Ole Musanka curses her that “she may go down with the setting sun” and warns Kaelos daughters from following her footsteps. Oloisudori follows her up to her ranch and confronts her for rescuing the girls he wants to marry. She saves young girls from early marriages and FGM without consent.

In conclusion the woes that women in Nasila go through is because Nasila is a male-dominated society.