River and The Source Gender Discrimination

“In the traditional Africa Society, women suffer the effects of gender discrimination.”

Using illustrations from, The River and The Source, validate the statement.

            The Luo Society in the River and the source portray how women were treated in a world dominated by men. Women heroes in the novel have to struggle since the society treats them as lesser beings.

      Male chauvinism is seen when Chief Odero Gogni contemplates “another rock for his sling since Akoko cried with a lot of gusto. Men do not recognize girls because they are passers-by unlike boys who stand for family continuity. Chief Odero Gogni has to disguise his love for Akoko because such love is unseemly.

      The society has low attitude towards girls. It does not consider important to seek for their opinion on their own marriages. Chief Odero with his sons turns away many suitors before they settle on chief Kembo. Details on marriage, bride price are settled in bride’s absence .She is only called in when the most critical issues have been dispensed with. She leaves soon after she has been introduced to her husband. Akoko chooses a husband for Nyabera.

      A man owns a woman’s “body and soul.” Akoko is scandalized when threatens to leave her husband. Otieno is bitter that his brother chief Kembo had never beaten his wife .Akoko describes relationship between husbands and their wives like that of cats and dogs or like the one between ravens and chicken. Akoko is grateful for her husband since he treated her well. Otieno grabs Akoko’s wealth soon after her husband dies. He believes that a woman does not deserve any wealth. Akoko felt the weight of injustice that women had felt in a male dominated world.

      It is a waste of time a girl to become educated. Her sole objective of existence being married and bringing up of children. Awiti ploughs her way through school despite difficulties encountered. All other girls drop out of school. When Pilipo is converted to Christianity, he thinks that catechism is too difficult for a woman to understand. The society expects a female to hide her intelligence. On Awiti’s graduation from primary school, the teacher refrains from mentioning that she has been admitted into a teacher training college; people would ostracize her for her brilliance or no man will take her for a wife.

Conclusion

The women in the text are so good at what they do that they are able to overcome the barrier s that society has placed in their way.