How different African cultures prepare women for marriage

Marriage is an important step in the life of every human on earth. Different cultures have different rituals and beliefs about marriage.

Love, economic status, religious beliefs, and social acceptance are just a few reasons individuals marry across differing cultures.

Marriage is the only known incubator for the raising of balanced socially functional children. It is a civilized union of man and woman.

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The ideal setup for a child to be raised into full functionality in the African context as a contributor to civilization, it is the institutionalization of complementary relationship between male and female energies, enshrining in the child sentiments and values from both sexes.

This is the formula which is secured with marriage. In all the communities the bride plays a very special role and is treated with respect because she is a link between the unborn and the ancestors. A bride might eventually bear a very powerful child.

Women are mothers of civilization which earns them a high status in society, thus protecting women and children is a biological human instinct.

In most African cultures, women are required to get married when they come of age. Marriage was really emphasized on to the extent that deliberate preparations are made in advance, even as early as a girl is born.

Here are some of the ways women were prepared for marriage. Force Fattening in Mauritania In Mauritania, girls as young as seven are placed on a strict fattening diet in a practice called Leblouh.

The process involves feeding children copious amounts of porridge and couscous among other meals to fatten them so that they can be chosen for marriage.

The community views heavier women as pretty and as a sign of wealth and the slim counterparts as a shame to the family.

Recently, the practice has come under scrutiny, with rights activists stating that it exposes the girls to heart problems and diabetes, according to Reuters.

Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), across Africa.

This is a practice by different cultures across Africa, where a girl’s sexual organs are cut or modified to mark the transition from a girl to a woman. It is also a sign that the girl is ready for marriage.

A number of African countries have outlawed FGM because of the harm and distress to the girls.

According to the World Health Organization, the practice has no health benefits for girls and women and can cause “cause severe bleeding and problems urinating, and later cysts, infections, as well as complications in childbirth and increased risk of newborn deaths.”

Visiting the Ssenga in Uganda In Uganda, girls as young as 15 are taken to a paternal aunt’s, called Ssenga for training on how to conduct themselves within a marriage.

“Away from the general conduct, love and respect, there are certain rituals paternal aunts perform for girls to become real women. While at the aunt’s place, a girl is taught about the good and bad side of marriage, how to deal with marital issues and then cautioned to be resilient in case of challenges,” Charles Lwanga Busuulwa, a ceremonial spokesperson told the Daily Monitor.

Ndebele’s Bride Seclusion Just like in Uganda, the Ndebele community of Southern Africa would teach the girls everything they need to know about marriages.

Only, for them, the lessons are conducted weeks before the wedding, with the bride hidden away in a practice referred to as Bukhazi.

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