iNtombi Nto
My Body My Choice
Black, female, sexuality. Those three words combined together are a taboo in most traditional communities and in society in general. It is an unspoken matter where the female does not own her body but must keep herself pure, untouched by man and become the perceived expectation on what it is to be a 'woman' in order to be accepted in her own society.
iNtombi was first created to explore the dynamics found within black female sexuality in a South African context, particularly looking at the cultural practices of Umemulo in the Zulu culture. Umemulo is described as a ceremony for Zulu girls as they enter womanhood. "Before, this ceremony was strictly awarded to a girl who had respected her body until the age of 21". This traditional practice is highly structured around the fact that the girls have to be virgins in order to go through this right-of-passage. Though it has been found that as times have changed some people, depending on the area, have turned a blind eye to the tradition by stating that you can still go ahead with it 'as long as you do not have a child'.
Nompilo Ngubane was born and raised in KwaZulu-Natal, a province that is predominantly populated by the Zulu people who pride themselves in their language and culture. She is an opinionated and bubbly 21-year old girl who comes from a family that is unapologetically proud of its heritage and cultural practices. Her family homestead (which is described as the family's core and ancestral home) is in Swayimana located in the district of Umgungundlovu in the province of KwaZulu-Natal (NL), South Africa.
Swayimana is an area that is currently developing where most households have access to electricity and good water systems. It is area that holds rich history and its inhabitants that pride themselves in the 'core' values of traditional practices such as umemulo.
Nompilo who is also a 3 third year law student at Rhodes University student describes herself as a woke black feminist who still holds on to her traditions and balances being modern and traditional on a daily basis. As some women, especially in areas of KZN, aren't as bold as Nompilo when it comes to the topic of sexuality and taking back your body & owning it. One of the biggest arguments that Nompilo raises throughout the documentary is that having umemulo should not be based on whether you are a virgin or not but based on the fact if you have been a good daughter and have respected your parents. Nompilo creates an awareness of black women taking back their bodies and not letting the patriarchal elements of tradition tell you otherwise, 'my body my choice'.
As many may criticize this statement claiming that it taints the traditional values of umemulo by incorporating "western values" of feminism, and encouraging women to engage in sexual activities thus labeling them as deviants of society. As a modern Zulu woman myself, I have wondered if our culture has always been patriarchal and oppressive against women. The values of purity, decency and the rules on how genders should behave seem to be so similar to that of the scriptures found in the bible. In the documentary Nompilo confronts her grandmother, asking her what is the procedure of umemulo and if it has somehow changed over the years. The grandmother insists that the rules of keeping your virginity until marriage has always been part of the Zulu culture but keeps bringing concepts of how God will bless you with a husband. Has our culture changed since the interruption of colonization, introduction of Christianity and the bond of globalization?
Historical Construction of Black Female Sexuality (Caribbean)
"A large factor that contributed to historical construction of sexuality as well as the maintenance of the constructed notions is the influence of religion on the lives of black Caribbean men and woman. In what he refers to as “The Repressive Hypothesis”, Foucault explains that relationship between the church, state and sexuality.
Once more, the constant in these institutions is that they were (and for the most part today, still continue to be) managed by the inherent system of patriarchy. Under this system, Foucault explains that sexuality is governed by numerous constraints and recommendations with a focus on what was pervasive and sinful or unnatural. This continual repression of sexuality, even within marriage, removed much of women’s sexual freedom as those who went against the societal norms regarding the“rules” of sexuality were often condemned. To explore sexuality outside of marriage was therefore sinful, and possibly that coming from a history of slavery, the institution of marriage was not something that was plausible for the majority of black women. Therefore sexual relations, or exploring sexuality in and out of even the “accepted” constraint of marriage within Caribbean society was and is still viewed as “sinful”, while other female sexualities such as lesbianism were viewed as taboo and unnatural."
- Kara A. Knight
This case study of the black women of the Caribbean is something that I have found similar in most black communities, especially within the context of umemulo but Nompilo's family prides themselves in honoring Zulu tradition and being part of the christian religion.
iNtombi Nto shows us how there is a constant balance of traditional and modern values.
We have moved into an era where women recognize that they have voices and are speaking their truths. iNtombi Nto seeks to empower black traditional women to search for their voices and speak their truth. It seeks to teach its audience that there are people who seek to challenge tradition in order to have a better one that is not oppressive to any gender. iNtombi seeks to show its audience that there are challenges that comes with balancing modern and traditional values but it is important to embrace your traditions and not let go of them.
