To browse Academia. Skip to main content. You're using an out-of-date version of Internet Explorer. Log In Sign Up. Chammah J Kaunda. Mutale Kaunda. Kaunda and Chammah J. Kaunda Abstract The article argues that imbusa1 among the Bemba people of Zambia is not only a ritual and ideological space in which women engage in premarital teaching of young brides, but also an important site for sexual expression. The traditional sexual dance infunkutu is analysed to demonstrate how it has functioned as an instrument of subverting the domestication of the female body.
In imbusa, women teach each other the art of deriving sexual pleasure from erotic encounters. Like in other societies, sexuality plays a key role in Bemba society and women are rigorously prepared for this. In the Bemba traditional thought system, sexuality is perceived as essential for human health, which includes the physical, mental, emotional, social and spiritual wellbeing of women and men.
Audrey I. Faber and Faber. Chammah J. As early as eight3 years, girls are encouraged to play with their genitals to get familiar with all their body parts and to facilitate sexual intercourse at a later age.
They are taught how to make contractions with their vagina as well as how to elongate their labia minora in groups—giving them a sense of kinship and encouragement. The elongation of the labia is believed to increase sexual pleasure for the couple and to help in child birth. The current cultural limitation that comes from discrimination against certain sexualities seems to have played little or no role in the experience of labia elongation or in the sexual dance discussed below.
In Bemba traditional thought, sexual satisfaction for both women and men was a concern of the whole community. The community was involved in the entire ritual teaching of the bride during imbusa. In addition to celebrating female sexuality through the rites of icisungu and imbusa,6 on the morning after the wedding night the entire community would celebrate the consummation of marriage with music and the traditional dance of infunkutu.
