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AN INVESTIGATION INTO PUBERTY INITIATION OF YOUNG GIRLS INTO
WOMANHOOD
ABSTRACT
This project
investigated into puberty initiation of young girls into womanhood in Ikpemeri,
Akoko Edo Local Government Area of Edo State. The scope of the study was within
the Okpemeri people in Akoko-Edo Local Government Area. The findings have shown
that there is negative effect on the initiation of young girls into womanhood
in Okpemeri. This is because these affect the education of the girls. Some may
choose ceremony. The research instrument used included questionnaire, and oral
interview. The population of study was for 50 respondents. The study, also
prepared some solution to alleviate the identified
problems.
TABLE
OF CONTENT
Title page
Abstract
Table of
content
Chapter One
Introduction
Background of the
study
Statement of problem
Significance of
study
Scope of study
Limitation of study
Definition of term
Chapter Two
Literature Review
Chapter Three
Research procedure
Research instrument
Administration and
collection of data
Population of the
study
Chapter Four
Analysis and
Presentation of Data
Discussion of findings
Chapter Five
Summary
Conclusion
Recommendation
References
Appendix
CHAPTER
ONE
INTRODUCTION
BACKGROUND STUDY,
PHYSICAL AND HISTORICAL DESCRIPTION OF OKPEMERI
“Okpemeri” is a term, which denotes oneness in other words the term “Okpemeri”
means “we are one” the group of people “Okpemeri” who are identified with this
name are those that sphere the same cultural historical and linguistic
attributes the towns are situated in the northern part of Edo State specially
in Akoko Edo Local Government Area. The towns are:
1.
Aiyegunle
2.
Bakuma
3.
Ekor
4.
Ekpe
5.
Dagbala
6.
Ekpesa
7.
Eshawa
8.
Ihillo
9.
Ikiran-lle
10. Ikiran-Oke
11. Imoga
12. Campese
13. Makeke
14. Ogugu
15. Ogbe
16. Ojah
17. Ojira
18. Oyanubuza
19. Somorika
20. Ugboshi-Ele
21. Ugbosi-Ele
22. Unumu
The languages of
these twenty-two communities are quite similar, hence the term “Okpemeri” was
been adapted to represent all that the communities stand for. Among the various
ceremony and festivals of the communities the initiation of young girls into
womanhood is one of the most important. This ceremony is generally called
“Oviliok”. The term ovilivia represent the initiated. This festival takes place
once a year in each of the villages mentioned above. Ovilivia is a festival of
initiation of young girls of marriageable age into womanhood. It is a revered
culture, which upholds the moral purity of the “Okpemeri” communities. That the
festival has to do with both morality and religion is only to be expected.
According to Idowu in his book the “sociology of education (1978)” said
“morality is basically the first of religion and that to begin with, it depend
upon it”. The ovilivia festival is not a festival of mass wedding rather, it is
a festival which declare young women mature, qualified and old enough to marry.
In some areas initiating maidens could be interms of circumcision but the
“Okpemeri”, it is not so. During the ceremony, young girls are decorated with
“Elopo” (beads), which is worn round the waist, her neck and hands to identify
that they are undergoing the festival. This could also serve as a medium to
show that they are eligible for marriage. The parent distributes sugar, Ahu
(local beer brewed at home). There is also the shooting of guns to signify that
there is a festival going on. (J. O. Odutola, 1963) in terms of customs during
the Olivia festivals the maidens usually dressed with Ojah (woven cloth) tied
around their waist but decorated with beads and bangles both on their hands and
necks. They are led to the market square by the age women in the villages where
there are cultural groups dancing to entertain them. However the Ovilivias also
partake in the cultural dance as they get to the scene. This was always
accompanies by ovation of spectators from almost all the villages in
“Okpemeri”. Later the chief of one of then villages in “Okpemeri” comes and
perform the necessary rites and from there, dancing and singing continues.
During this time suitors come out and seek for their future partakers, when
this is done, they make their intention known to the girls parents who reject
or accepts the suitors.
ORIGIN OF THE CEREMONY
The origin of “Ovilivia” festival is like the origin of the other aspects of
the culture of Okpemeri people, which is last in antiquity of the past.
However, there are too speculation about the origin of the festival. The first
speculation is that perhaps the festival first started several years ago as a
nuclear family affair when the communities had evolved and had became tolerable
stable after the migration era of the evolution of the communities. As a result
of the importance of classify in the festivals, it is speculated that worried
mother might have been forced to consult oracle due to rumour which spread
among the suitors of their daughters that their were not faithful, [perhaps
such a rumor was scaring many suitors away from their daughters. The worried
mothers who then consulted the oracle will be told a different story. The
parent who felt highly elated by this discovery, then regretted with their
daughters. As a result of this development, many men were then encourage to
seek the land of this lady in marriage and the lady made her choice to prepare
her (probably named Ovilivia) for her future role as a wife. The mother gave
her more training, perhaps this yielded nice results that encouraged more
families to organize the same type of festivals for their spinsters’ daughters
as their conveniences, the festivals then gradually grew from a family to kindred,
then clan and finally communities’ affairs.
The second speculation is that perhaps the Okpemeri people borrowed this idea
from Owo and Benin, two of the communities that the people came in contact with
during their immigration from Ile-ife to their present location. In Owo a
similar female initiation festival into womanhood called “Igogo” festivals is
being organized. However, one thing to not about the origin of the festivals
has been its colour with religious outlook. Like most African cultured groups,
religious form the foundation and governing principle of life for the Okpemeri
people. Religion permits their lives so much that it expresses itself in
multifarious ways it forms the theme of songs, folklores.
STATEMENT OF PROBLEMS
Culture and tradition of many areas in Nigeria have not being given the benefit
of documentation again mush has not been known on woman initiation. Specially
in this area of the world. Modern girls see their festivals as being barbaric
in the sense that the exposure of there bodies which is part of their virtue
too in human. This also affects the academic performance in the school in the
sense that the girl will be shy to go to the school the following day. This is
because her opposite sex who is in the same class will tease her. Sometimes
some will not go to school again. Also parents of the initiated girls see this
period as a period of display of wealth. In the olden days, it was moderately
done. But today, the number of Elopo (beads) worn by a girl shows her parents
wealth young men use this period to ridicule the young girls, this affect them
psychologically as they (girls) now feel they do not anything to be proud of
again.
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
This research is on the “initiation of young girls into women-hood” it is an
attempt to document one of the most important customs of the Okpemeri. It is
also an attempt to highlight the way women in this part of the country exhibit
and prove their chastity before going to their manhood homes.
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