"She told me that learning to dance seductively would ensure that, no man would ever want to leave you, unless you want him gone. Dance is just one of a range of seduction tips and tricks that Zaishanga teaches at her kitchen parties. She also counsels women on how to maintain a healthy marriage, and gives advice on the importance of self-care, and the need to maintain a standard of beauty and style."
"These gatherings, where experienced older women aunties, big sisters, grandmothers share advice with brides-to-be are rooted in traditional rites of passage into womanhood that date back centuries. But like many African traditions reshaped by the twin forces of colonisation and modernism, kitchen parties have become increasingly tame or too western as Zaishanga puts it."
"She remembers her experience as a teenage girl when she learned the art of touch through massage, and the beauty ritual of removing pubic hair with hot ash, as part of her own journey into womanhood. Now, she scoffed, women are literally being taught how to make tea. It was the tempering of the original spirit of kitchen parties that prompted Zaishanga, 53, to start her own."
Kitchen parties are traditional African rites of passage where older women share knowledge with younger women preparing for marriage. In Tanzania, practitioners like Zaishanga, a somo or traditional sex educator, teach seduction techniques including dance, alongside advice on maintaining healthy marriages and personal beauty standards. These gatherings have deep historical roots spanning centuries. However, colonialism and modernization have significantly altered their original purpose and intensity. Zaishanga started her own kitchen parties charging attendees to preserve the authentic traditions she learned as a teenager, which included massage techniques and beauty rituals. Her work has gained recognition across Tanzania through media appearances.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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