Excision/female genital mutilation is a decisive aspect of the construction of gen­der identity. A woman is a cultural creation and female circumcision is normative­ly obligatory as part of this creation in many cultures (Nypan 1991:42). In Mali, male identity is glorified through its “innate” ability for leadership and its ascribed role of economic provider. Female […]

Basically, the norms of chastity and abstinence apply to both men and women, when they are not married, at any stage of their life cycle. There is a net preference for ‘social sex’, in which the final goal is procreation, as opposed to the promotion of ‘personal sex’ that focuses on self-gratification. Hence, regularity of […]

Gender inequality is the norm among all ethnic groups in Mali with a variation, in the nature and areas of discrimination, due to differentials in the life style and so­cial values that are emphasized in individual behaviours (Rondeau 1994). Inequal­ity among generational groups is common to all components of the Malian soci­ety. Age is a […]

The end in mind regarding women’s sexuality is its reproductive component. Procreation is the most celebrated function of female sexuality in Mali. To this ex­tent, a woman’s recurrent concern about sexual pleasure is often misinterpreted as her possible deviance from reproduction. Such a presumption has led some people to believe that the practice of excision/female […]

A healthy sexual life is said to be the guarantee for a good marriage. For some, the prevailing norms endorse the perception of wives as sexual objects. This view is based on many existing facts and practices. For example, a man may “own” more than one sexual partner through the system of polygamous marriage, in […]

For many, the practice of excision/female genital mutilation deprives women of important means of sexual pleasure, because scientific research has ascertained the primary role of the clitoris in women’s achievement of orgasm (Zwang 1972; Koso-Thomas 1987). Some people have quickly inferred from those findings, without further scrutiny, that all women who undergo these practices are […]

Sexuality is monitored throughout women’s life cycle At a younger age, girls’ socialisation is more focused on learning their gender roles. Later on, sexual education is given incidentally, through older siblings and grandmothers, on a basis of need. However, the learning of body language is con­stantly promoted through daily remarks, criticism and guidance on how […]

Traditionally, individual sexuality was dealt with step by step in conformity with male/female physiological and psychological development, through various rites of initiation and an elaborate system of gendered socialisation. Learning about sexuality was mostly a collective event organized by age groups and led by an elder. This formal teaching about sexuality is progressively disappearing in […]

At the end of the week-long seclusion, the bride joins her conjugal home, loaded with bedding, kitchen-utensils, a new wardrobe, and a stock of incense and maya — dyalan. Usually, the magnonmakanw stay in touch with the couples that they have coached. They supposedly continue to protect them against witchcraft and bad spirits. Many of […]

Arnfred Page 178 Wednesday, March 3, 2004 2:38 PM Assitan Diallo mixed lotions and ointments that lubricate, cleanse and smooth the female geni­talia. Different types of these ‘love concoctions’ are put, usually secretly, in the groom’s daily food to boost sexual desire and reinforce sexual performance. The purpose of all these products called maya-dyalan1 and […]