aka Rites of Passage, as taken from here:

http://bernard.pitzer.edu/~hfairchi/PsychDiscourse/2000/PD-OCT-2000.html#Schroeder


Prevention of HIV/AIDS Through Traditional Means: The Cultural Practice of Dipo Rites
By
Rose M. Schroeder, Ph.D. and Samuel Danquah, Ph.D.
Department of Psychology
University of Ghana, Legon

Abstract
This paper examined Dipo as a traditional means of controlling the spread of HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases in Ghana. In Africa, HIV/AIDS is believed to be spread through sex. Currently, there is no known cure for HIV/AIDS, and drugs identified as slowing its progress are financially out of reach of many African nations. The main purpose of Dipo as a transitional rite of passage in Ghana is to prevent promiscuity and premarital sex. It appears that the adoption of this rite may curtail the spread of HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases. This paper thus suggests research into Dipo and other transitional rites to help control the spread of these diseases.  Although many traditional practices have been condemned and isolated by Western societies, Dipo has resisted this condemnation and therefore has persisted. When Dipo began, HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted diseases were not thought of. Society thought of educating girls about preserving their dignity, the values of marriage and the good morals of the Krobo woman by emphasizing sexual abstinence before marriage. Now, Dipo could play a very important role in the preventing and controlling the spread of HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases in Ghana.

The Origin of Dipo
It is believed that there was once a noble Krobo man who had two wives. The elder wife had only male children while the younger wife had only female children.  The custom at that time was to circumcise the boys between the ages of 10 and 14 years. The circumcision was accompanied by an elaborate celebration to initiate boys into manhood. The pride and the glamour that went with the circumcision became a source of envy to the younger wife who had only female children. This problem was presented to Nana Kloweki, the priestess of Manya Krobo. To appease the younger wife, Dipo was instituted as a puberty rite for girls between the ages of 14 and 21 years.

Nana Kloweki, by virtue of her priestly leadership, assumed the role of spiritual, moral, social, and economic leader, as well as a teacher of the adolescent girls. The training of the girls included personal hygiene and some vocations. The girls were also taught home management and childcare. They were assessed in these various areas of their training and symbolic marks that are similar in concept to tattoo were inscribed on their bodies for successfully completing the training. In all, there were three traditional marks; the first was inscribed between the thumb and the wrist for personal hygiene.

The second mark was inscribed on the girls belly (Fomi Bo) after thorough examination by Nana Kloweki to verify that the girl was fully developed for both marriage and child bearing. This mark signified maturity and readiness for child bearing. The essence of the Fomi Bo was to make sure that only mature and certified girls were accepted as ready physically to have children. This was also a check on teenage pregnancy.  The third mark was made at the back of the waist. It was a taboo to let any man except her husband touch or hold her waist. The essence of this mark was to prevent promiscuity, adultery, and premarital sex.

Dipo as means of HIV/AIDS Prevention

The second aspect of the training consisted of moral training and self discipline. It was believed that any girl (before Dipo) who was sexually active, had an abortion, or was pregnant, would fall down during the ceremony and bring a calamity to her parents. This belief put some responsibility on parents to monitor their daughter’s movements and to help uphold their virginity and the dignity of the family. The purpose of this training was to help the girls preserve their virginity which to some extent also curtailed the spread of sexually transmitted diseases including HIV and AIDS. The successful candidates were "outdoored" amid singing and dancing with merry making. After the rites, the girls were ready for marriage. The Dipo rites dictate when virginity can be lost and whom the girl could have sex with since it is a taboo to let any man except her husband touch or hold her waist. Dipo rites thus emphasize prevention of sexually transmitted diseases including HIV/AIDS, prevention of immorality and teenage pregnancy, and preparation for marriage. If the girls adhere to the teachings, they will keep themselves from sex until marriage and that could prevent the incidence and the spread of HIV/ AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases.

Stages of Dipo
The Dipo rites involve many activities divided into stages. The first stage involves replacing the normal waist beads with a single string with only one reddish bead tied to it. A very large red lion cloth is then affixed to the string both in front and at the back of the girl to cover her genital organ. A guide then leads each girl to stand on a sacred antelope skin in a room saying to her, “ine nene dze wakasi-mi peehe ha mo, ne opee klo-yo” meaning, “I am performing our traditional rite for you, that you may become a Krobo woman.”

This is followed by the guide helping the girls to grind millet. The essence of this ritual is to introduce the girls to one of the most important duties of a Krobo woman, that is, grinding of millet for the household.

On Saturday the girls are sent to a stream where they are cleansed and dressed up. Goats presented by their parents are sacrificed with merry making. The blood of the goat is believed to wash away any evil thing that may be harmful to the healthy development of the girls toward mature womanhood and motherhood.

Changes in Dipo
The Dipo rites originally lasted between one and three years. Nevertheless, with the advent of Christianity, Islam and formal education, the duration for the training has been reduced to one week to enable the girls to go back to school. With the misconception of what rites of passage are, Western culture perceives all rites as devilish. Westernization has influenced Ghanaians to also to see Dipo as devilish and fetish, consequently, putting a stop to it. As a result, parents who are Christians are suspended from their various churches for allowing their daughters to undergo Dipo.  Also, with Western influence, people now perceive Dipo as exposing girls’ naked bodies to the public since formal dressing is not encouraged on the day of the outdooring. This has made adolescent girls shy away from the ceremonies. As a result, girls as young as four years may undergo Dipo since at this age they are innocent and see nothing wrong with being naked.
Another reason for the early participation of young girls is the enormous expense involved. Going through Dipo is relatively cheaper for the young girl than the adolescent. Girls are also teased by their friends for undergoing Dipo. Recent developments indicate only girls 15 years and above should be allowed to undergo Dipo.

In the past, those who did not take part in the rites were isolated and were driven away from the community. Presently, due to emigration of traditional people and the influence of religion and Western culture, people view Dipo as fetish. Christians and Muslims see puberty rites as devilish and the educated elites see it as outmoded. For example, Teyegaga (1984) sees Dipo as an outmoded custom that is now more of a religion than training for marriage. Due to the influence of both religion and Western culture, a large section of parents feel no remorse when their daughters do not take part in the Dipo rites. However, the irony is that these same parents will not let their sons marry a girl who has not undergone the Dipo rites since it is believed that uninitiated girls are unclean and do bring a bad omen to the family. This belief shows the importance of Dipo rites to the Krobos.

Summary
It is a fact that there is currently no cure for HIV/AIDS (Comer, 1995).  In addition, the drugs that have been found to slow down the progress of AIDS are very expensive and beyond the reach of African governments. There is therefore the need to explore other traditional methods of preventing the spread of the disease. Since HIV/AIDS is mainly sexually transmitted in Africa, Dipo that is a used to prevent promiscuity and infidelity could serve as a tool for the prevention of all forms of sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV/AIDS, and teenage pregnancy which is a problem facing many nations.

It is possible that other ethnic groups have similar transitional practices that we are not aware of. It is time we rediscover these practices and study how they can be used as mechanisms for controlling sexually transmitted diseases.
For this proposal to be effective and implemented, research into the Dipo is very important.  To encourage such practices, it is proposed that a link be established between the psychologists in Ghana and the organizers of Dipo and other transitional rites:
 

* To educate the leaders on prevention of HIV and modernization of these rites
* To educate the girls about the transitional rites
* To encourage a dialogue between the traditionalists and the churches to explore systematic ways of using these rites to help prevent HIV that would be acceptable to both the churches and the traditionalists.

 Further, due to the exclusion of males from the rites, research is needed to find out what is done or can be done for males that would help develop a systematic way of preventing the spread of HIV/ AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases among them.

References
Burton, R. V. & Whiting, J. W. M. (1961). The absent father and cross-sex identity. Merrill Palmer Quarterly, 7, 85-95.

Comer, R. J. (1995). Abnormal Psychology. W. H. Freeman and Company, New York.

Narh, A. J. (1998). The impact of Christianity on the Dipo custom of the Krobos. Unpublished dissertation, Department of Sociology, University of Ghana.

Teyegaga, B. D. (1984). Dipo custom and Christian faith. Jupiter Printing Press Ltd. Accra, Ghana.

Address for correspondence:  Dr. Rose Schroeder, Department of Psychology, University of Ghana, P.O. Box 84, Legon, Ghana, West Africa.







Shemhotep
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