Brief about Malawian chewa women,chinamwali,gule....
The Chewa people are descendants of the Bantu tribe, who widely settled in the central part of Malawi. Among many distinctive moral values and cultural norms, the Chewa people are widely known for their highly magnified traditional dances like the Great Dance (i.e. Gule Wamkulu) , beliefs and perceptions towards women in society.
Culturally,
Chewa women are viewed as having a social life that revolves around
defined cultural gender norms. This division centers women being largely
engaged in household chores and lighter agricultural activities. The
Chewa people strongly believe that there is a high demarcation between
women and men in terms of social interaction and work in the community.
Traditionally,
grooming a Chewa woman begins right at birth. In a Chewa family, the
father’s relatives name the baby, and if it is the last born in the
family the parents are not allowed to call their daughter by name.
Instead they call her “baby girl”. As a sign of celebration, a Chewa
baby is given beads that are worn around the neck, legs, hands, and
waist.
A Chewa girl undergoes a ritual known as Chinamwali,
a traditional girl initiation ceremony. It is done soon after a girl
hits puberty. The girl is taken into confinement for seven days, where
she is counseled by elder women (known as Anankungwi) on a
number of issues believed to prepare her into adulthood. The topics
discussed during this initiation, include:
- Menstrual hygiene
- Good manners and respect for the elderly
- Sexual abstinence
- Why they should no longer eat eggs, for fear of becoming barren
- Why they should no longer enter their parents’ bedroom
- How to carry out household chores
- Good behavior towards their husbands once they are married, and to dress respectfully
The initiation is finished when the girl leaves the house after being shaved off all hair, including pubic hair.
Over
time, some of the beliefs and traditions about women have been
modified, meaning today a Chewa woman does not only take
responsibilities at home as a housewife, but can also partake in society
as a career woman, taking up leadership roles in the community.
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