The phrase "Women want to be you and men want to be with you" echoes in the streets of Addis and in the private households of so many women that it has carved a dent in the perception of beauty to women.
When it comes to beauty there is a mutual consensus within a community to identify and categorize a variety of aesthetics considered most appealing. For Ethiopian women, there is a dominant culture which identifies fair skin, big expressive eyes, and long wavy hair as the essence of beauty. Additionally, a heavy burden weighs on women to keep a clean and polished appearance.
This burden is further reinforced by a silent decree which dictates how women are supposed to carry themselves, appear as they’ve made an effort to look feminine and secure the validation of others. It might be an effort to comply with the dominant culture of looking proper in shared spaces, which will create a harmony and belongingness amongst women who look happy and pretty.
The feminine edge is stereotypically categorized as vulnerability-a form of weakness in contrast to the strength and vigour of masculinity. Notwithstanding, femininity is a double-edged sword: it has the allure of power, sexuality, seduction, attraction, cajolery, counter to the unthreatened space where men can assert their mastery and dominance by contrast.
The softness, passivity, physical dependency, commonly attributed with femininity in contrast to the daintiness of masculinity is an unchallenged ground enforcing stereotypes for gender distinction. The control is better understood by the polarized sentiment women feel if they partake in the culture of looking good or if they opt out. The bells automatically ring when a woman walks the streets of Addis not caring about the opinions of passers-by regarding her appearance.
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Two scenarios unfold. Either she disappears in the vacuum created purposely for the unnoticed or she gets the “wrong” kind of attention that creates ripple effects. The reaction for the lack of acknowledgment which is “generously” given by men (through various forms of harassment and heckling) strips her of the sense of belonging replaced by a feeling of inferiority.
The other might be the unending comments from peers, colleagues, friends and family, tarnishing her femininity with comments like, “Aren’t you a woman? You should take care of yourself!” Which begs the question, why are we obsessed with looking good?
When we make an effort to look effortlessly clean and polished, there is an expectation of appreciation from others. We imagine the flood of compliments from friends and peers, the stares of envy and admiration from female passers-by, and the spark of interest from men, as incentive validating our femininity.
Surprisingly, the policing of women’s physical appearance is incessant. The hungry looks initiated by both men and women devour women, making it the most resilient self-sustaining control mechanism reinforced from within.
Well, there’s no simple answer. Many women have accepted and embraced the imposed roles. This takes sagacity to knowingly embrace a diminutive role and redefine it at will. Some women have participated in assimilating in “manly” and “macho” behaviours, which entails normalizing toxic masculinity by incorporating derogatory comments towards other women.
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It is a minefield, but women manage to navigate within this terrain of dangerous stereotypes. Every day they make an effort to quieten the noise of the societal pressure and listen intently to their desires and aspirations. There is this wholesome feeling that exists within each and every woman that reminds her of her absolute essence, and how the parameters set are not worthy of measuring it.
She knows deep inside that she doesn’t have to justify her words and nonaction. This is just the tip of the iceberg, and yet women prevail at every corner finding their essence within. They behave the way that will encourage others to find peace within by skilfully managing the world outside.
They are responsible to themselves as they remain true and aspire authenticity, which might entail analysing the temporary impression that arises when you have the perfect black jeans, and it fits perfectly everywhere. Some days that perfect jeans, shrivels around the knees and just doesn’t go well with the loose t-shirt that you love.
It’s this sentiment that the standards set for us to behave and feel in a certain way are not worth it. They diminish us and our worth. But we embrace and own it, positioning ourselves in the role of leadership by stretching the boundaries set and imprinting our footsteps in every space of the territory.
All genders, all ethnicities, and all nationalities seem to unite under the idea that Ethiopian women are the best in the whole world.
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One of the most common features of these women is racial ambiguity. A chocolate skin tone and moderate physical attributes.
Timeless Beauty The Allure of Ethiopian Women
Specifically, “the beauty industry is huge in Ethiopia,” stylist and creative director for the likes of Ari Lennox and Tink, and Plugged NYC designer Tizita Balemlay tells ESSENCE.
“In Ethiopian culture, braiding styles can represent the tribe you’re from,” Balemlay says. For example Golbichi braids are often associated with the Tigrayan and Amhara ethnic groups in Ethiopia. While hair reminds us of our personal history, from cornrows in Black American culture to red ochre paste (otjize) in Namibia’s Himba Tribe, it’s also a reminder of the traditions we share through blood.
Upon entering an Ethiopian salon, the smell of tea and coffee fills the air. “A lot of people come to Ethiopian and get hair treatments like “Kibey,”” she says, the practice of using raw butter to reduce breakage, improve length retention, and stimulate hair growth.
According to Balemlay, Redwan Nurdin at Red Beauty Salon in Bole, a district in Addis Ababa, is the city’s top hair salon. However, the most popular for the African diaspora is Boston Spa, which is part-hair salon part-spa that offers manicures, facials, massages, and other services.
At Kuriftu Resorts, Balemlay says Boston Spa and Spa Entoto are a hotspot for beauty and wellness tourism, offering holistic remedies and massage rituals honoring Habesha heritage.
Visiting her home country regularly, “I have tried so many places in Ethiopia and I feel like this year I know where to go to for what services,” she says.
Traditional Cosmetics of Oromo Women
Traditional cosmetics play a significant role in the cultural practices and personal hygiene of many ethnic groups worldwide. The Oromo, an indigenous community in Ethiopia, has a rich history of utilizing local plants for cosmetic purposes.
A study aimed to identify and document plant species, and parts used in traditional cosmetics and associated knowledge, and practices among Oromo women in the Madda Walabu district, Southeastern Ethiopia. A total of 150 Oromo women were interviewed to gather ethnobotanical information including the plant species used for cosmetics, their preparation methods, and their applications.
Ethnobotanical indices were computed to determine the most important species used by the women. A total of 48 plant species belonging to 31 families used as sources of traditional cosmetics were recorded.
Leaves were the most commonly used plant part in traditional cosmetics, and maceration and decoction were the most common preparation methods applied to prepare traditional cosmetics. Topical application of traditional cosmetics was the most common, while oral infusions were rarely reported type of administration.
Overall, Commiphora habessinica, Gnidia stenophylla, Kalanchoe lanceolata, Mimusops kummel, Sesamothamnus rivae, Terminalia brownii, T. laxiflora, Acacia drepanolobium, A. mellifera, and Aloe citrina were the most frequently cited and culturally important plants by Oromo women for traditional cosmetics in the area.
The study highlights the importance of local plant resources for maintaining cultural practices and personal hygiene. However, the cultural heritage associated with traditional cosmetics is facing threats from various factors.
Historical Context
Historical pieces of evidence revealed that human beings have been using traditional cosmetics for thousands of years (6000 BC) to enhance their natural beauty, for protection of their skin, care for teeth, and decorate their skin for cultural and religious purposes.
In many countries around the world, traditional societies have always used natural substances such as plant extracts for several reasons including skin protection against the sun, and skin beauty, as well as for conveying messages of tribal identity. Egypt was a pioneer country in the use of plants for cosmetics that goes back to the age of Pharaohs, and the Romans, the Greeks, and the Arabs, through the medieval and Elizabethan periods and into modern times.
The demand for beauty products such as soaps, face washes, shampoos, conditioners, skin lotions, toners, astringents, cold creams and other moisturizing formulations, perfumes, hair colors, dyes, powders, eye and face packs, etc., has been growing globally requiring trillion-dollar investment. Cosmetic-pharmaceutical products were intended to improve not only the beauty but also the health of individuals.
On the other hand, due to their potential negative health effects in recent years, cosmetic products of synthetic origin have been widely criticized which has increased interest in the use of traditional cosmetics as they are considered less toxic, effective, and believed to contain antioxidants. Most of these cosmetics were prepared from plants.
Traditional cosmetics are natural cosmetics into which no synthetic chemical ingredients are added and made locally by the members of the ethnic group. Even today, traditional cosmetics are in use in many developing countries and Ethiopia is no exception.
In preparing traditional cosmetics, different ethnic groups in the world have been using different species of plants. Furthermore, cross-culturally, the use of cosmetics is more common among women than men. This arises from the potential interest of women to attract their male partners and to a rival competition. Moreover, the use of cosmetics makes women appear healthier, more attractive, and more feminine.
In any culture, the knowledge and practices of ethnobiology vary by, ethnicity, religion, profession, educational background, social status and relations, income class, age, and gender. Women are likely the most important in the management of plant biodiversity in biodiversity-rich regions including Ethiopia.
The indigenous knowledge of the preparation and use of traditional cosmetics has a long history. This knowledge has been transferred from generation to generation orally. With the increasing development of technologies, however, the knowledge of these traditional cosmetics has been decreasing.
In addition, plant diversity from which these cosmetics are believed to be made is also depleting globally due to anthropogenic factors such as the expansion of agriculture in addition to the invisibility of the environmental benefits that are derived from women's biodiversity management.
Furthermore, the use of plants as traditional cosmetics has only been poorly investigated in different regions including Ethiopia as more emphasis was given to traditional medicines despite their important role in the economy, improvement of beauty, and minimizing health risks of synthetic cosmetics.
Study Area: Madda Walabu District
The study was conducted in Madda Walabu district, Bale Zone, Oromia National Regional State, Southeastern Ethiopia. The majority of the inhabitants in the district are Oromo in ethnic group and Muslim in religion. The most common agricultural system in the district is mixed farming with livestock and subsistence agriculture forming the major livelihoods of the rural community.
We focused on Madda Walabu district because of its historical remark on the history of the Oromo people. The word “Madda Walabu” means Gadaa revival, the foundation of Oromo civilization and the birthplace of the Gadaa system.
The Gadaa system is an ancient and indigenous democratic system of governance used by the Oromos in Ethiopia and northern Kenya. Gadaa system has been registered as one of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO since 2016. In Oromo, the Gadaa system is responsible for regulating political stability, economic growth, social services, cultural commitments, and the ethical contract of the religious order.
Oromo women had an influential position in the past. For instance, the wife of the designated Gadaa leader known as “Abbaa Gadaa” is equitably treated like the Abbaa Gadaa himself. Besides “Siinqee” feminists represent women in the Gadaa system, although this has now declined following the decline in the people’s indigenous cultural practices. Oromo is the most dominant ethnic group in the area and is the most populous ethnic group in the country.
Data Collection and Analysis
A total of 150 informants (all of whom are women) were selected purposively to obtain high-quality and reliable information. The selection of informants was based on the recommendations of elders and local authorities. Data collection was focused on three villages (Hora Kore, Aba Sirba, and Medacho) of the Madda Walabu district due to their experiences in the use of traditional cosmetics.
Data including the local names of the plant species used for traditional cosmetics, their preparation, and administration methods were collected using semi-structured interviews from June to August 2021. Plant specimens collected during the fieldwork were identified using the Flora of Ethiopia and Eritrea.
The informant consensus factor (ICF) was calculated to assess the variability of plant usage in cosmetics within each of the ten categories using the formula used in.
The cultural importance index can be seen as the sum of the proportion of informants that mention each species use. It is an additive index used to determine the spread of the use of plant species and the diversity of its use and calculated using the formula:
Results
Sociodemographic Features
In the study, although the age of the participants ranged from 20 to 75 years, most of the respondents were above 50 years old. Concerning education, the majority of the participants did not attend formal education at all and attended primary education. Most of the respondents were married and housewives in occupation.
Plant Species Used as Traditional Cosmetics
A total of 48 plant species belonging to 39 genera and 31 families were recorded as a source of traditional cosmetics among Oromo women in the Madda Walabu District of Bale Zone. The most common family was Fabaceae represented by six species followed by Bigonaceae, Burseraceae, and Combretaceae.
Plant Parts and Growth Forms
The most common plant parts used in the preparation of traditional cosmetics were leaves followed by barks, and wood from the stem, whereas plant parts such as seeds, fruits, and resins were rarely used. Trees were found to be the most frequent source of traditional cosmetics in the study area followed by shrubs (in life forms.
Methods of Preparation and Administration
Maceration and decoction were the most common methods used to prepare plant-based traditional cosmetics. These methods were usually used by the Oromo women to soften and extract materials that can be used in the production and beautification of the skin, and hair. Furthermore, smoking was also mentioned as a common method, particularly in the use of traditional cosmetics such as perfume.
Traditional cosmetics are applied to different parts of the body. Moreover, these natural-based cosmetics are mainly administered topically (88%) while oral infusions were not common (12%). The participant highlighted that plants used for natural-based cosmetics may be administered as a powder (leaves, root, or wood powder) through different mechanisms depending on the need for beautification.
