Finally! 6 Reasons Why Some Kenyan Women Wear Waist Beads😋

6 Reasons Why Some Kenyan Women Wear Waist Beads

Waist Beads, also known as belly beads, have traditionally been worn by Kenyan and African women in general since the 15th century to serve many celebratory purposes. In Kenya, a bead is rarely a simple ornament; beads are worn visibly as a sign of status or hidden as an invisible yet perceptible signal to a husband or lover.

Here are 6 Reasons Why Kenyan Women Wear Waist Beads

1. They are worn as a sign of maturity.

Throughout several communities in Kenya, belly beads have been used to adorn girls and women and indicate how they have matured and grown.

2. Intimate Appeal

Sexual pleasure is heightened when men see waist beads resting seductively on a woman’s hips.

3. Some women use them as an instrument in losing weight.

The beads were used to alert women of their weight gain or if they became pregnant. For women who do not normally weigh themselves, belly beads can serve as an indicator of weight loss or gain.

4. Protection from negative energy

5. They are worn as a symbol of showing pride to the African heritage and culture.

6. They are worn to boost confidence.

The confidence of many the women who wear waist beads is boosted with the strings of beads round their waist i.e They are able to prolong sexual activities.

7. Some women wear them as part of their fashion choice.

Secrets of the shanga: Why coastal women wear the beads on their waist

However, only a few Kenyans understand that better than coastal women who sport waist beads or shanga – for their aesthetic value and much more…especially much more! Since time immemorial, African women have worn shanga as a rite of passage and even to sexually entice their men, making it more than an accessory or fashion statement.

In Egypt, waist beads were worn by all women as uniform for pre-pubescent girls without any sexual connotation. In Ghana, waist beads were nicknamed Jel-Jelli, Jigida, Giri-Giri, Djalay Djalay and Yomba. They were worn by girls to help form their bodies into shape.

“Belly beads are worn to accentuate the sexiness of a woman’s waist. Sometimes a woman can set the mood for romance with her man by tying a bunch of jasmine,” says Zulekha who beautifies brides in the Majengo area of Mombasa, where locals have been using shanga for ages to keep matters romantic hot.

That was until watoka bara (folks upcountry) turned the beads into visible fashion statements, in addition to ‘women of ill repute’ throwing their waists into the bargain. “A woman would be adorned with beads by her somo (bride’s chaperon and tutor), with instructions to use them to keep her husband happy,” Zulekha says.

She adds that the beads were so revered that when a woman strayed, she was required by tradition to take them off before entertaining a mpango wa kando as the ones on her waist were for her husband’s eyes only. “Such an abomination could even lead to exposure of her infidelity for disrespecting the power of the beads,” Zulekha says.

A trader in Mombasa told The Nairobian that his beads are sourced from Zanzibar, where they are crafted purposely for lovemaking. A look at what he stocks indicates intricately strung beads in layers that he claims induce the act of intimacy just by caressing their many folds.

“Mwanamke anahisi mawimbi yanambeba (a woman would feel like she is riding a wave),” he told The Nairobian, even though he declined to give his name. His beads are pricey and as a result, he boasts of polished career women as clients.

Some women lace their beads with charms and fragrances that reportedly make them irresistible to men, while others use the shanga to attract and keep men because the beads apparently enhance sexual experience.

“Mwanamke akivalia hizi shanga halafu kitandani awe smart, mwanamume hawezi banduka,” (If a woman wears the waist beads and is good in bed, his man will never leave), says Scholastica Kache. She is proud of her waist beads, which she confides she acquired from a local mganga.

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Juju beads

Kache, who hooks up with wazungu tourists mainly from Germany and France, says the competition for men made her resort to charms to guard her ‘territory.’

“I used to get a mzungu, but they would abandon me after a short time. I later realised that one of my colleagues who was properly accessorised with beads from the local juju man was retaining most of her clients. I followed suit and acquired a set of my own,” said Kache when we caught up with her at the Jomo Kenyatta public beach.

The 30-year-old says she was forced to ‘kwenda mbio’ (slang for seeking help of a ‘mganga’) a year ago and things have been looking up ever since. Nelly Mshila says the waist beads help in stoking the “fire in the loins.” She says that, “No man can resist the sight of an array of beads around a woman’s waist.”

The 28-year-old says she puts them on during certain times of the month to express her romantic intentions and sexiness.

Other Reasons Why Women Wear Waist Beads

Waist beads are often worn by African women and it holds certain fascination for many. The beautiful stream of color blending could be one of the reasons for this fascination or the way a woman’s lower body moves when this ornament is worn could be another.

It has been named according to the tribes wearing them. In northern Nigeria, it is called ‘Jigida’ while the Yorubas refer to it as ‘Bebedi’. Women’s sexuality in Africa as a whole is attached to a woman’s bum and the beads help women sway and show off this feature.

Although much sentiment is attached to the use of this ornament, some ladies don’t mind wearing them. This present day generation doesn’t see the need to wear beads around the waist in order to make the bum shake; they would rather ‘twerk’ and shake the bum harder than those wearing the waist beads.

The wearing of beads is thought to be obscene, local and primitive. Most parents wouldn’t allow their young ones wear them. It is seen as something dirty which is meant for ladies or children with no moral upbringing. It is believed that whoever wears them is wayward and is trying desperately to attract men with it. This misconception has not discouraged the true lovers of waist beads. They hold special admiration for it.

The waist beads in truth are associated with sex and sexuality. It has the ability to stir deep erotic feelings in men. Sexual pleasure is heightened when men see waist beads resting seductively on a woman’s hips. The beads make the women aware of themselves and the power wielded round their sexuality.

The waist, hips, bum and thighs become the focal point of attention when the bead is worn. Feminism and beauty is enhanced with the wearing of waist beads. Young girls wear waist beads to show they are growing into young beautiful women that are ready for marriage. As interesting as the culture of bead wearing is, it also has some issues of spirituality attached to it.

Waist beads are believed by many to have been dipped and soaked in some remedies to entice, charm and trap men. In the past, charmed beads were worn to protect women against certain forces that may be radiating negative energy around them.

In pregnancy, it is believed to be a protector of the unborn baby and the mother. Charmed beads also help the women improve their sexual prowess while acting as some sort of birth control. This issue of spirituality attached to the bead is a major turn off for some men who believe they may never be able to get out of the claws of a woman wearing them once they are trapped.

The wearing of waist beads has extended to the shores of the Western and European world as belly dancers and pole workers have developed an affinity for it. Body movements are accentuated when beads are being worn. The confidence of many the women who wear waist beads is boosted with the strings of beads round their waist.

They are able to prolong sexual activities as the men run their fingers over the beads during foreplay. The sound and feel of the beads between two heated bodies during love making creates a sea of excitement for them.