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8700 BCE
why did the Lip plate wearing ritual start?
Lip plate wearing ritual started when women decided to design a deliberate disfigurement designed to make women and younger girls less attractive to slave traders -
8700 BCE
what is the Lip plate wearing ritual?
The Lip Plate wearing ritual is when a female reaches the age of 15 or 16 and gets there lower lip cut and replaced with a wooden plug until the wound heals. The healing process takes around 3 months. It is up to the female to decide how far to stretch the lip by inserting plugs over a period of several months -
symbols
the lip plate ritual symbolizes womens strength and self-esteem. The practice is also described as a sign of social maturity and reaching reproductive age. also indicating a girls eligibility to become a wife. -
significance of the Lip wearing ritual
the significance of the lip wearing ritual involves a lip plate worn by a Mursi women is best seen as an expression of social adulthood and reproductive potential. -
important facts
- It is often claimed that the size of the lip plate is correlated with the size of a woman’s bridewealth
- Women who haven't experienced Lip plates can later in life after producing a family can still go along with receiving Lip plates