A Woman's Life in the Tribes of South Omo
In many tribes in South Omo, marriages are arranged while the girl and boy are still quite young. Father’s are given a large dowry at marriage –making education for women seem unnecessary. According to our standards here in Canada, a woman's life in tribal South Omo is difficult at best.
It is a woman's responsibility to provide for the family. 70% of their day is used looking for water alone. When they do find the water, it is always dirty and often carries a myriad of bacteria and disease.
Women are responsible for the construction of their homes
as well as the gathering and
preparation of food.
Women are typically beaten with a whip. This particular whip takes approximately 8 months to construct. Women are beaten often by their husbands and proudly display their scars as they have learned and believe that this is their responsibility and shows a certain loyalty to their tribe, their husband, and their community.
Women are also taught that circumcision is a necessary thing for young girls to endure. This procedure is often performed in the most barbaric ways. Many women believe that if they don't follow through with this grisly procedure, they, and their entire family could be at risk to die. The video that you will see speaks of this process and the reasons the women are accepting of it. It is difficult to comprehend and may be unsuitable for children to hear.
In some tribes in South Omo, one of which is the Mursi Tribe, decorative lip plates dictate a woman's value in marriage. For instance, the larger the plate, the more cows she is worth at the time of marriage.
