The women in the play are devoted to Remi and without him appear to not have much purpose. Of course, this is normal for the lives they are living in a male-centered culture. Nyobi, Remi's mother, is particularly distressed by his absence and asks a Christian priest to intervene both spiritually and physically to help return her son to the tribe. Nyobi is also worried for Remi's wife, Thoni, who doesn't have a household to run without Remi. She is worried that Thoni is getting older and has no children to show for it.

When Remi returns to the village, he is glad to see his mother but frustrated by the tribal laws he feels have held him (and his country) back. He is cold to Thoni, and she flees because her life has no meaning without her marriage. When Remi receives a letter from Thoni explaining her devotion to him, he regrets his actions, but it is too late as she is dead.

Jane, a white woman and Remi's lover in the city, has more freedom than Nyobi and Thoni, but she is still devoted to Remi, and his decisions affect her. Though he is correct that she would never integrate into his tribal life, it does not change the fact that he has intentionally kept her in the dark about his plans.

Two main themes that affect the women in the play are as follows: More than the men, they are vulnerable to the shifting politics of the region because they have no protection without their husbands/sons. The other theme is that the selflessness of women is taken for granted by Remi; in this case, the women are symbols of the home and traditions he has come to resent, but they remained faithful to him regardless.