Girls’ Initiation Ceremonies in Zambia: Reflections on their Role in Girl Child Educational Advancement

Girls' initiation ceremonies are an important aspect of the Zambian culture and traditions, and culture and traditions are powerful symbols of human identity. They convey a sense of special uniqueness attributed only to that particular group of people. In this package, one finds beliefs, norms, values, customs and numerous identity tags held dear by that group. Anyone who belongs to that group is expected to adhere to and abide by these norms and traditions. While culture and traditions are designed to preserve people's identity, possibly in perpetuity, this same principle is antagonistic to development, which by simple definition demands making improvements to the past and present. Development embodies progress; an element of learning from the past and striving to make things better for the future. Concerned about the increase in school drop outs among girls due to early marriages, this desk study was undertaken in two regions in Zambia: Eastern and NorthWestern Provinces, to understand the role of culture and traditions in contemporary society, with particular reference to girls' initiation ceremonies (Chinamwali ceremony among Chewa people in Eastern Province and Wali ceremony for Luvale people in North-Western Province). The paper questions these cultural and traditional practices conducted for girls at puberty (e.g. female initiation ceremonies) that systematically socialize a girl child to be subordinate to her peers in that cultural set up. The study found that these practices train a girl child to perceive herself as dependent on other people, in particular men; and not as a full package in her own right. Cultural expectations orient and prescribe her destiny towards getting married and becoming a care giver to her family. Not only does this type of socialization demoralize a girl child from aspiring to achieve more, but also takes away her desire and motivation to exist as an independent human being who should aspire to achieve the best and reach her full potential in that society. Furthermore, these cultural practices violate girls' privacy rights, including their freedom of expression and movement. In short, this cultural orientation robs girls of their independent thinking and becomes an obstacle in a girl's educational advancement. The paper concludes with two questions: 1. Growing up in such a traditional background, is there room for a girl child to break away from what appears to be “cultural bondage”? 2. What role should culture and traditional practices play in promoting girls' educational advancement?