Period Party: Becoming A Woman in Malawi

Period Party: Becoming A Woman in Malawi 

Written by Dylan Taylor and Victoria Balaka 

For many young girls, starting your period would usually be a very private right of passage. But in some communities here in Malawi, that first step into womanhood is signified by a collective celebration from fellow female friends and family. 

This kind of initiation ceremony doesn't apply to all young girls here in Ntcheu. However, for those that experience this initiation ceremony where Ngoni culture is respected, the initiation ritual is an opportunity to get meaningful advice on how to take care of yourself during the menstrual cycle.  

On Saturday, I attended a "Chinamwali" event to find out what happens at these traditional ceremonies. Initially, on arrival at the village of Chiole, friends and family were gathered around cooking pots preparing lots of food for the day of celebration ahead. A jubilant mood surrounded the village as the people preparing a feast for festivities began to do what they do best here in the warm heart of Africa - singing and dancing! 

Food being prepared for the ladies attending the event 

Before the initiation even begins, the girl moving into puberty is kept inside a house in the village for a whole week. During this time she is visited by elder women of the community and the church. Over the course of the week, the girl is given a range of advice including not to have sex before marriage to avoid teenage pregnancies. But that's not all; the girl is also encouraged to adhere to "Mwambo" or the traditional values of the area, including how to greet elders out in public, as well as how to dance properly. 

Advice being given to the girl from members of the community 

Having got the weeks-worth of advice, the girl at Chiole was led outside the house wearing a chitenje (a traditional cloth wrapped around the waist) and a head-wrap. Then under a tree, she was then presented with gifts, mainly consisting of money to buy sanitary and hygiene products. One by one, the onlookers presented their gifts and then gave a final word of advice before it was my turn to step forward and give my gift to her.

People enjoying traditional Malawian food 

On giving her my gifts (a bottle of juice, biscuits and 500 kwacha) I  gave the girl my advice which was to stay in school, work hard and not to get stuck in an early marriage. After the ceremony was completed, the girl's parents gave a word of thanks to the community and a final word of prayer saw the girl officially become a woman!