Some African tribes have really dangerous traditional practices. The real issue is that most times children and women fall victim of these weird practices. Thanks to civilization, some of these traditional practices are losing grounds Here are some dangerous traditional practices in Africa.
1. Efidan tradition
“Efidan” is one of the types of harmful
traditional incision. Efidan translates as cutting. This tradition is
still used in the rural areas of Nigeria. For the tribes, cutting is a
part of adolescent traditions. Parents usually cut their children when
they reach puberty. For women, scars needed to decorate their body and
be more sexually appeal to men. For men, scars and cuttings serve the
same purpose, and through them, they show that they are ready to take
responsibility for a family.
The problem is that cuttings are made by people
who knows nothing about medicine or by children themselves, which leads
to the blood loss and even death. Moreover, instruments for cutting are
not sterilized properly which can lead to the variety of diseases, HIV
and AIDS. The Anti Child Abuse Society of Africa stands for stopping
Efidan or at least monitoring it by local authorities.
2 Nutrition violence
Sometimes children do not desire to eat food, but
parents want them to eat – what should they do in this case? Some
parents in the Gwaris, Yorubas and Hausas found a violent solution to
this problem. If a child does not want to swallow watery food, then the
parents or caregivers put the kid`s head between legs, close the
nostrils and provide food to the mouth when the kid opens it. If the
kids are crying during this procedure, then it`s a good sign for a
parent to feed them. Nevertheless, these cultural practices of
delivering food may lead to choking, chemical pneumonitis and aspiration
pneumonia.
3 Forced marriage
Child marriage is a very common cultural practices
in some Nigerian tribes. The main victims of early marriage are young
girls. The marriage age for them is considered to be around 12 years
old. Still, some girls enter the puberty period in the house of the
husband. Sometimes they can be married to a man much older, then they
are. The violence occurs when a girl refuses to marry or have sex with a
husband. They have to suffer from the pregnancy in the young age and
suffer from obstructive labor. Young girls can be bought directly from
the parents. Many of the children are given free to marriage for future
economic and political benefits.
4 Children`s labor
Occupational violence is a part of harmful
traditional practices in Igboland. Children under age of 12 have to work
on the farms against their will. They can work regardless climatic
conditions. This practice is common in the forest and farm regions of
Nigeria. Still, parents send their children to work as they believe it
will help them to secure a job position in the future. Therefore,
children do not go to school and have to work without proper protection.
Public organizations and UN attorneys investigate cases of forced
children labor in Nigeria.
5. Blood vengeance
UN Study on Violence in Africa
provides facts of blood vengeance in some tribes. This tradition is
based on the religion basis. If one member of the family harms a member
of another family, then the whole family can pay a death price for the
actions of one member. These cultural practices stand against law in
Nigeria. Still, it does not stop these traditions. Families still have
grudges and they prefer to solve their problems not in the courts.
Therefore, Nigeria suffers from brutal murders in rural areas of the
country.
6 Female Genital Mutilation
This practice is also known as female
circumcision. It`s one of the cultural practices, where a female child
has to go through the procedure of partial or total removal of the
female genitalia for non-medical reasons. Some cultures in Africa see
this tradition as a part of becoming a woman. Therefore, young girls
undergo the procedure during the puberty period. Female Genital
Mutilation is believed to be made to ensure women`s virginity. Some
tribe cultures see external female organs as an unclean. Therefore, they
believe that they clean they girls with mutilation of the organs.
7 Virginity test
It`s one of the old cultural traditions in Africa.
Virgin girls in tribes are defined as clean and pure. Girls who did not
save their virginity up to the marriage can be treated horribly.
Virginity tests in Africa tribes can have various forms. According to
the traditions, a girl can be defined as virgin if she has an intact
hymen, innocent eyes, the tightness of muscles behind the knees and
“tight breasts”. Some tribes also examine male virginity. According to
some traditional tests, a boy defines as a virgin if he has a thick
foreskin and can urinate over one-meter-high fence with no hands.
What do you think?
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