Sexual Relationships 
Sexual Health What's your opinion of the Swazi 'Umhlanga'?
Anonymous
https://www.irinnews.org/report/56096/swaziland-role-women-stirs-debate-reed-dance
The Umhlanga, or Reed Dance ceremony, is an annual cultural event which takes place in August. In Swaziland, tens of thousands of unmarried and childless Swazi girls and women (50,000 last year) travel from the various chiefdoms to the Ludzidzini Royal Village to participate in the eight-day event. The young, unmarried girls are placed in female age-regiments- the 'older' (14-22yrs old) and the 'younger' (8-13yrs old); and all girls are required to undergo a virginity test before being allowed to participate.
The girls wear beaded skirts and colorful sashes, leaving their breasts bared and their thighs exposed. They also wear anklets, bracelets, and necklaces. Each sash has appendages of a different color, which denote whether or not the girl is betrothed. Each maiden carries a long reed in the parade, which is supposed to symbolise their chasitity, and then carry them towering above their heads in a slow procession up the hill to Enyokeni Palace. If the reed should break before the girl reaches that point, it is considered a sign that the girl has already been sexually active. On the final day, when the Parade ends in front of the royal residence, this reed is then deposited as they approach the king, before they dance exuberantly in front of him.
Swazis interviewed at the event insist that international portrayals of the annual ceremony misconstrue a centuries-old ritual that, far from being an exercise in exploitation, is a celebration of girl-power, and of the girls' chastity. Internationally though, it's gained infamy as the parade from which the Swazi King picks his new brides. King Mswati III, Africa's last absolute monarch, is 48, and most of his 15 wives and 100+ fiancees (according to tradition, they can only become wives after they've fallen pregnant) have been selected from those who perform at the Umhlanga. So, what's your personal opinion of the event?
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Updates:
+1 y
Ok, put this in 'sexual behaviour' instead of 'society and culture' for some reason. Strange...
+1 y
Does anyone know if there's any way to get this moved back to the 'Society and Culture' topic?
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