Final answer:
Maasai women gain prestige through political influence, the possession and management of prestige goods, and the involvement in spiritual or religious practices that highlight their status and capabilities within their community.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question of how Maasai women achieve prestige can be understood by looking at different historical and cultural contexts in which women have held high social status. For instance, women have utilized positions such as co-rulers or heads of households to demonstrate influence in political realms, employing items that signify knowledge or spiritual power. Elegant grooming and appearance have also been traditional indicators of a woman's pride and status.
In some cultures, such as in early dynastic periods in East Asia, prestige for both men and women was not solely based on a commercial economy, but on a system of prestige goods that could be inherited or acquired. These goods represented a command of resources, as well as connections to extra-human power, in societies where political order was often unstable. In this light, the political standing and societal influence of the Maasai women would similarly be heightened by their association with and access to such prestige goods.
Additionally, in historical contexts, practices related to spirituality or religion, such as the divining of the future, purifications rituals, or the construction of religious shrines and temples, have been methods for women to maintain or increase their status. Through rigorous study, expressions of piety, and the management or creation of spiritual spaces, women have exercised and displayed their prestigious standing within their communities.