Chronicle Editor
Thandeka Moyo-Ndlovu, Chronicle Reporter
PART of Jane’s 12-year birthday celebrations involved private sessions where she was openly told the time had come for her to elongate her labia minora in preparation for a fulfilled marriage and husband.
She vividly recalls one of her aunts saying that that the painful experience was worth all the effort as it would usher her into “real womanhood.”
They took turns to label women without elongated or stretched labia as unworthy, foolish and the cause of infidelity in her community and when they concluded the talk, she was compelled to join other women who have been doing it for ages.
One of the matriarchs in the meeting told her that stretched labia were a guarantee of a happy marriage and that her future husband would not leave her- oblivious of the fact that infidelity can affect any marriage.
The excruciating pain she underwent while stretching her labia then birthed a revolutionary in her who even today 15 years later, questions why women have to go through hell just to keep men happy.
Besides labour pains during child birth and the monthly pre-menstrual cramps, women in Zimbabwe have been subjected to unnecessary pain of stretching their labia minora all in the name of ensuring men have sexual gratification.
This cultural act which for years was associated with the Kalanga tribe, has been listed under harmful practices by the World Health Organization and is closely associated with female genital mutilation (FGM) – a violation of women’s rights.
Jane says despite the advancement in technology and modernisation, she still cannot believe that even today, women are expected to stretch labia to keep men from cheating.
“Some older women in their prime years are also willing to pay money just to get their labia stretched all in the name of making men happy and safe guarding their marriages. The African in me is pro-happy marriages but I doubt that stretched labia are of any benefit- in fact its unnecessary torture to women and it’s a practice that must be stopped,” she says.
Jane believes that in the wake of emancipation of women, the burden often placed on women to withstand abuse and pressure just to keep men happy should be eliminated at whatever cost.
“My aunt told me that this practice was originally introduced to help women during their menses in the olden days. I think now that we have advanced sanitary wear and we understand that both men and women should work harder for a healthy marriage, we should stop this act and be able to define women as humans not as objects created merely to make men happy.”
She says girls were expected to pull their labia during menstruation and those who failed were asked to use some herbs which are believed to aid the growth of the labia.
FGM is recognised internationally as a violation of the human rights of girls and women. It reflects deep-rooted inequality between the sexes, and constitutes an extreme form of discrimination against women.
The Word Health Organization says FGM comprises all procedures that involve partial or total removal of the external female genitalia, or other injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons.
Labia stretching or pulling is classed under Type 4 of FGM which the WHO says includes all other harmful procedures to the female genitalia like pricking, piercing, incising, scraping and cauterising the genital area.
Women rights activist Ms Patience Phiri said although some people are quick to equate the stretching of the labia to FGM, the practice remains a cultural rite which should be studied and understood first before anyone engages in it.
She says the act is meant to enhance sex for the men as the elongated labia is believed to constantly keep a man’s penis warm during intercourse.
“It is a personal decision honestly but I feel the way a vagina was created is the way it should be. Unfortunately, over the years women have gained sexual freedom and we have started talking about previously which has forced some to just copy what others do culturally just to save their marriages,” says Ms Phiri.
“Now you find grown women trying to pull labia or some wearing waist beads, things they are picking from other cultures. The stretching of the labia is done before puberty with the custodians explaining the how and why part but people are doing it just to keep their man happy.”
Ms Phiri says it will be unfortunate for anyone to define womanhood based on what men are set to benefit from women sexually.
“Sex will not fix relationships people need to have conversations as one can stretch labia to her knees but still have an unhealthy relationship with her partner. We are putting ourselves under too much pressure as women hence we should breathe and look into these things because I know women can lead happy lives even without the stretched labia.
Mr Mlamuli Moyo from Nkayi said the tradition was meant to prepare women for marriage as many men find pleasure in stretched labia.
He said that was rubbished by modernisation yet for ages it has kept both men and women sexually satisfied in their unions.
“Labia stretching is not genital mutilation as it is generally not forced on anyone these days. Most women pull the labia because they want to beautify their vaginas and because they believe it heightens sexual pleasure for them and their partners,” he said.
“This practice was frowned upon by the West, who viewed it as barbaric and a gross violation of women’s rights. Funny enough, women in the so-called developed world are now doing it, some are even going to the extent of having their labia stretched through plastic surgery.”
Mr Moyo argued that most women with elongated labia are sexually confident, liberated and they generally know their bodies.
“One can safely can say they are in touch with their sexuality. That said, I believe women reserve the right to say no to labia stretching. A woman must not be forced to pull her labia or have her labia pulled, all in the name of culture,” he added.
Renowned gynaecologist Professor Solwayo Ngwenya says there is no scientific evidence that links the pulling of the labia to any benefits.
He said even in childbirth, elongated labia does not aid in anything as the process is natural.
For him, sexual intercourse is psychology and couples need to enhance communication to enjoy it and not claim that pleasure only comes when one has stretched labia.
“There is no value in stretching the labia from the medical it’s probably just a violation of women’s rights. However, i understand there are some people who practice it for their cultural heritage, I cannot criticise them because it is not a harmful process. If they feel that they have to do it then it is well as long as they understand that the girl has to be willing and that elongated labia are of no benefit scientifically,” says Prof Ngwenya.
However, some matriarchs believe the pulling of the labia is beneficial to women as it even aids during child birth.
“During our time in the 80s it was taboo to meet a woman without elongated labia, we took pride in that,” says Mrs Thabo Mlambo a traditional marriage counsellor.
“The process is painful; I will not lie but of course with this generation of young girls (ama2000) they can never understand the value gained from the pain. Our elders taught us that the labia were for men to enjoy during sex and encouraged us to stretch them as a way of cementing our relationships and marriages.”
Mrs Mlambo added that it would be foolish for any woman to believe that they can keep a man just by pulling the labia.
“Nothing can ever satisfy men because even as our elders ensured we had stretched labia; we were cheated on some even got divorced. So yes, it’s a culture we grew up practicing but the reality on the ground is the same men we wanted to keep and please can still cheat and abuse women with the longest labia,” she adds. – @thamamoe
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