Queen calls for modification of puberty rites

GNA – The Queen of Ejisu, Nana Yaa Asantewaa II has advocated modification of the way puberty rites are performed (Bragoro) by scrapping aspects that are found distasteful to the present generation. The insistence that the adolescent girl publicly exposes the breasts as part of the rites for example, she said, should be discarded. Nana Yaa Asantewaa was speaking at a durbar to climax the 10th anniversary celebration of her installation as queen. She said there should be no doubt that, if fine-tuned and made attractive to young girls, “traditional rites ushering adolescents into adulthood” could be used to significantly reduce teenage pregnancies in the country. It was for this reason that everything should be done to re-package those rites taking into account the influence of formal education and Christianity. Nana Yaa Asantewaa called on all to help to preserve the nation’s rich culture and traditions. She used the occasion to draw attention to the need for parents to pay more attention to the education of their children to enable them to grow into responsible adults, adequately prepared to lead the nation into prosperity. The Queen as part of an initiative to aid young girls to keep their virginity until they got married has formed virgin clubs in a number of communities in the traditional area. Nana Afrane Okese V, Omanhene of Ejisu, called on the people to ensure unity of purpose and to work hard to speed up the development of the area. He praised the Queen for her immense contribution towards the protection and preservation of traditional values and culture. GNA