A 15-year-old Malawian girl, Grace Mwase has spoken up about initiation camps and a “rite of passage” that young girls in Southern Malawi are forced to be a part of. According to Grace she has resisted the peer pressure and spoken with CNN in an effort to teach other girls about the dangers of unprotected sex.
According to CNN various communities in Malawi are pressuring young females to attend these “rite of passage” initiations, where they’re taught a number of straight-up sex lies, including that they need to have intercourse to rid their bodies of “child dust” and prevent diseases.
Some men have sex with the young girls during the camp as part of the initiation process. Grace Mwase said she continues to attend the initiation camps, but with a different motive in mind — to alert the others that it’s OK to say “no,” and if they don’t, to know the real risks that accompany unprotected sex.
Grace, now 15, started being taught how to have sex at age 10. Her initiation camp took place not far from her home. They stayed there for a week, Grace said. The women leading the camp taught her about respecting her elders and doing household chores, but also how to have sex.The women demonstrated sexual positions. Then, they encouraged girls to do “sexual cleansing,” also called kusasa fumbi, which meant they should get rid of their inexperience with sex by practicing. They told her if she didn’t, she’d get a skin disease.
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