show the complexity and the struggles of many during the Mau Mau period.
These oathing women were in their own right pioneers, freedom fighters, and
warriors willing to die for the Mau Mau cause.
Women As Mau Mau Oath Takers
The first role that all women in Mau Mau played was one of an oath taker.
Women courageously oathed to support the Mau Mau struggle.62 When women
took the Mau Mau oath and made their statements of commitment, secrecy, and
unity, they unleashed new possibilities. And this was the first step. Just as with
the men, women could take multiple oaths depending on the different roles they
would later play in the movement. For example, if they became oath
administrators or scouts, they took specific oaths in addition to the first one that
everyone took.
The number of women who oathed to participate in Mau Mau was only
about 5% compared to men, and they were equally as committed as the men.63
What is important is that women had the opportunity to join, and they did.
Women joined for the same reasons as men and fought with the same passion.
They crossed over to new spaces in taking the oath to fight. Figure 3.0 is a
picture of two Kikyuyu women taking the Mau Mau oath. It is one of very few
images available that portray showing that women participated in the Mau Mau
movement.
62 Interview, P. Musuo, January 2009, Machakos, Kenya.
63 See Kershaw, Маи Май from Below.
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