Rites of Passage - Transistion into Womanhood

Coming into adolescence from childhood can be an uneasy feeling for young girls and their parents. Many religions and cultures have rites of passages for the young men in the society, however, young girls, especially in America lack a formal transition into womanhood. There are ways to help your daughter or other young girls accept their beautiful growth into becoming a woman.

Ikenna Ubaka, the director of Harambee II, an after school program for teen girls, decided to reach out to local mothers and start a rites of passage program for the young girls in the community. The local Atlanta chapter is called Sisters of Tomorrow. The program was started almost 20 years ago in East Palo Alto, California and incorporates traditions from several African cultures such as Tanzania and Ghana to help the young women transition into womanhood traditionally. The group discusses issues pertaining to spirituality, cultural identity, sexual responsibility, health and social etiquette. Other issues that are tackled include acne, boys, insecurity, peer pressure, periods and more.

It is not easy for young women, especially in today's society to understand their adolescence and adulthood. Music video stereotypes of women, virginity, and abstinence can be overwhelming for the young girl who is beginning to come into and see the world in a different perspective. Self-awareness is essential and confidence in their new found beauty should be discussed with others who share the same aspects. Programs such as these also provide the girls with long lasting relationships and bonds, not only with their moms but other girls who are going through the same things. School and home life are very different; however, rites of passage programs fill the gap between the two and give the girls a well rounded view of their environment and selves.

You can start a program by reaching out to young girls' parents. It is best to get a group of mothers together who are interested in helping develop the program. It is also a great idea to have teens who have already transitioned into adolescence volunteer their time and effort to helping the young sisters with their transitions.

Here are a few steps you can take in order to develop your own Rites of Passage program for young girls.

Do the research: Read about several traditional rites of passage customs within African cultures. You can even discover customs within your own cultural background.

Know your resources: Get together a group of parents, friends, young girls, teens and elders who will want to be involved in the program. Use them to help design an efficient program. You may also want to talk to people with knowledge in cultural customs such as college professors.

Have goals: Discuss and plan when you are going to meet and what you expect to accomplish from each meeting. You can even set up special activities for the young girls such as visiting the museum, quilting, sewing, cooking or other activities that the girls may enjoy.

Plan a curriculum:

You may want to include: Studying cultures, honoring family and genealogy, discovering new religious views, learning time management skills and financial success, learning about the body and how to take care of it, gaining etiquette and ladylike mannerisms, relation to peers, developing personal goals, values, and plans.

With the help and love of people with wisdom your program will become a success God willing and a benefit for young women in your community. I hope that God willing this article was of a benefit to you.

Resources

Rasbury, Angeli R., "How to Put Together a Girls' Rites-of-Passage Program, Essence Magazine, 2005.