The Salient Socio-Agentive Position of Women in the Traditional African Society: A Case of Abaluhya Women of Western Kenya

Abstract

This article sought to examine the position of women in the traditional African society in Kenya before colonialism (before 1895). It narrowed down to the social organisation in the Luhya traditional society and the space women occupied in the same. It further delved into exploring the possibilities of empowerment or disempowerment for women in the social sphere among the Abaluhya. It addressed the aspect of women's agency in the Luhya social organisation, answering the question of what role women played in elevating their position socially. This article was supported by Lesley Ogundipe's African Feminist theory which holds that women had an essential role in the pre-colonial African society and that the structure of the society had room for women empowerment as opposed to the common belief that the African society disempowered women. Data for this study was collected using primary and secondary sources. Primary sources involved oral interviews, while secondary sources focused on analysing existing literature on the topic under study. The study analyzed five major aspects of the Luhya society and the role women played in them, namely: the clan and the family, initiation and marriage, informal education and apprenticeship, traditional religion and sex roles, and division of labour. The study found that women were centrally placed in the social structure of the Luhya society and that while some social aspects empowered them, others disempowered them. The study then concluded by assessing the role of women in elevating their own social status.