Growing Up Sexually

SWAHILI (Waswahili, Wangozi; Tanzania; KENYA, MOZAMBIQUE)

Index →Africa→Tanzania → Swahili

Also featured: Wanguru, Turu, Kwere, Shambala, Ngindo, Chagga, Bena, Nyamwezi, Luguru, Kaguru, Sukuma, Subiya, Ngulu, Hehe, Barabaig, Nyakyusa, Gogo, Baraguyu, Hadza, Sonjo;®Kuria, ®Masai

Among the Washirazii / Wambwera Swahili in Tanzania, sex education is given after menarche by the instructress (Caplan, 1976)[1], as to boys (p23, 25). Boys’ circumcision (occurring anywhere between one year and puberty) is considered necessary to allow the boy to eventually have coitus. Premarital virginity is valued.

A study of Unyago (female initiation) was undertaken by Mwai (1997, 1998) [2] [3]:

“Among the original cultural aspects affected by this contact [Arabs with Waswahili] was the traditional rites of passage - Unyago and Jando. But whereas Unyago - a rite of passage from girlhood to womanhood - actually received propping from Islamic teachings, Jando - a rite from boyhood to manhood was affected to the point of near extinction (Trimingham, 1980:51)[[4]]. This scenario was due to the fact that the bottom line in Islamic teachings was that males have power over females” (1998).

Among the Mombasa Swahili (Muslims), boys (beginning at the age of twelve as they start to move into all-male social contexts) have age-stratified sexual relationships with older men (Shepherd, 1987)[5]. The junior is called shoga, the senior is known as pasha. Anal intercourse appears to have been the accepted practice (Standing and Kisekka, 1989:p107-8).

The vugo ceremony celebrated the virginity of the bride[6]. Vugo songs were performed in two different forms. There was a more traditional 'tribe'-based vugo, and a 'para-tribal' vugo performed by women clubs. The former lost ground to the latter over the years. Topan juxtaposes 'tribal' and women clubs' versions of several songs.

Janssen, D. F., Growing Up Sexually. Volume I. World Reference Atlas. 0.2 ed. 2004. Berlin: Magnus Hirschfeld Archive for Sexology

Last revised: Oct. 2004