Giving Compass' Take:

• Damaris Seleina Parsitau discusses the importance of engaging custodians of tradition to improve girls' education to ensure long-term progress and prevent backlash. 

• How can funders work to build culturally-appropriate solutions to gender inequality? 

• Find out why microfinance alone isn't enough to empower women. 

The Maasai people of Kenya and Tanzania encounter many challenges in offering girls access to education and ensuring they stay and complete their schooling. Maasai culture is heavily patriarchal, with distinct socio-cultural norms and practices that set them apart from other ethnic groups in Kenya.

These norms have affected women and girls in several mostly negative ways, particularly related to education. The custodians of tradition and culture — not lawmakers — are the main decision-makers in these communities and the implementation of national laws and policies related to education have had little effect.

These elders, community and spiritual leaders, formally elected leaders, youth, and warriors wield so much power, influence, and authority in their communities that their cooperation and participation in changing the status quo in their communities is essential.

As the stewards of traditional rites of passage, these gatekeepers pass these rites and cultural values and norms from one generation to the other. Given their tremendous and unquestioned power within their communities, elders continue to perpetuate and promote socio-cultural practices such as Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and child marriage — huge barriers standing in the way of Maasai girls’ education.

Read the full article about how to engage the custodians of tradition to help Maasai girls by Damaris Seleina Parsitau at Brookings.