Rites of Passage Festival, W. Africa 2022 @African Cultural Heritage Project SD 480p

Rites Festival, is a traditional West African rites of passage, coming of age, that was done from antiquity and was revived towards the end of British colonial rule by the Ga people of present day Ghana, W. Africa. Various aspects of these rites are practiced throughout various parts of W. Africa from Ivory Coast to Benin Republic and beyond. Historically it was over several months or longer, and used to prepare young women for marital life and motherhood, as it was done as girls entered puberty and during the festival conclusion potential suitors would approach the young ladys parents to pronounce interest in marrying their daughter. It served several social purposes, aside from a form of traditional education, and socialization to enter womanhood, but also was a type of coming out, not much indifferent to the western idea of "sweet 16" where a young lady would be permitted to adorn herself and decorate her appearance as a woman, who is entering the age of marriage. Now, for many reasons, mostly economic related, Dipo Festival has changed and its not uncommon to see young girl children or babies performing their own Dipo. This occurs because the family is trying to economise due to an older daugter within the family also performing her own Rites Of Passage, so they combine the female children to fulfill traditional obligations as the ceremonies carry a substantial cost to families, esp. in rural areas. A hope of this project is to aid these communities, so these traditional rites may continue and not disappear due to financial inability or foreign religous intolerance (mainly from Christians) who would prefer to see the various aspects of rites stopped or subdued, due to public exposure.
It is important to mention, this is a traditional, customary, rites of passage, that might be older than 500-1,000yrs and is under threat of disappearance because of changing social values and norms. Though, under certain occasions the young ladies are full clothed, on other ritual occasions they will perform half-naked. This is NOT to offend NOR as sexual content, but to present historical public festivals, without prejudice from western social ideas and norms, placed upon traditional African festivals, which predates colonial era.