The Woman With Lip Plates

The woman with lip plates:

Around the Omo river, a tribe known as the Murai is known for having there woman get large plates or discs inserted in their lips. From the ages of, 15-18 young girls will get their bottom lip pierced by a stick. As time goes on, the stick will increasingly get larger until a small disc is placed instead, each year, a bigger disc is placed. For the disc to be placed on the girl's bottom, two teeth need to be removed for more comfort. These discs are made of either wood or clay, with a unique design on each disc. Discs were often remade and replaced due to them breaking quite often. The discs where to be worn at all times when in the presence of males, with the exception of eating and sleeping. When the disc was removed, the bottom lip would dangle onto the chin. This tradition started back during the African slave trade; villagers decided to make the woman less presentable towards the traders for them to stop stealing them.  Although they were told that it is also a form of attraction, women without the lip plate are seen as less attractive than the woman with one in. The larger the lip plate, the more cattle the groom's family owes the wife's family. A reasonably large plate would cost around 60 cattle. The Ethiopian government is trying to stop the tradition, causing younger females to choose whether or not they would like the opportunity to have the lip plate. Many young women decide not to get their lip pierced, causing the numbers of women with it pierced to go down. Without the piercing, women will have lots of trouble finding a husband and having children.

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