Delta women assault: Why unmarried girls are barred from Ozoro festival – Community leader

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The President-General of the Ozoro Progress Union, Asiafa Berkeley, has explained why young unmarried girls are traditionally forbidden from appearing during certain moments of the Alue-Do festival in Delta State.

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Berkeley clarified this while condemning the harassment of women during the event.

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During the festival in one of the communities in Ozoro, in Delta, some men were seen in viral videos groping, harassing and assaulting women in broad daylight, with some social media users describing the event as a “rape festival.”

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Speaking on Channels TV’s The Morning Brief programme on Monday, Berkeley said the restriction on young girls is rooted in long-standing cultural beliefs tied to fertility practices in Isoko land.

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According to him, unmarried girls are expected to stay indoors during specific periods of the festival because the rituals are meant for married women seeking children.

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Asked why young girls were forbidden to come out, Berkeley said, “It’s an old tradition in Isoko land. In the olden days, young girls who were not married are not supposed to get pregnant; that means the family is going to be mocked. So, you don’t offer prayers to girls that are not married, but for women that are married, you can offer prayers for them to get pregnant.

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“So, the restriction for young girls not to come out is that young girls who are not married should not come out so they don’t get pregnant. That’s their belief. Some people might believe, some might not believe. I’m a Christian, so many persons are Christians; some Christians might not believe, but it has worked for certain people or some people still want it.”

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Berkeley, however, condemned the actions of some youths during the festival, insisting that they acted without authorisation from community leaders.

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“This assault has never happened in Ozoro. I have never heard about a rape case in Ozoro, and nobody gave those youths permission to do what they did,” he said.

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He also rejected claims that the festival promotes sexual violence, stressing that it is traditionally a symbolic event centred on fertility.

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“It’s not a rape festival; it’s a symbolic festival for fertility,” he said, adding that the practice has existed for centuries.

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Berkeley further stated that the king and community leaders did not sanction the actions witnessed in the viral videos.

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“When I called them, when I called the executives and elders of the Uramudo, they said it was hoodlums that are not part of their festival. The festival is for fertility and peace,” he said.

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He disclosed that the monarch has convened a meeting to be held before the end of the week to review aspects of the festival.

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“This is a modern world; we are in the 21st century. We are no more in the 18th or 19th century, so some of these laws have to be reviewed,” he added.

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Describing the incident as unfortunate, Berkeley apologised and accepted responsibility, noting that inadequate security allowed the disruption.

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“A good festival that was planned by the Uramudo community was hijacked by hoodlums, which has really brought shame to the kingdom, Isoko community, Delta State and the entire country, and I want to again apologise for what happened.

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“If we had put adequate security on ground, those hoodlums wouldn’t have done what they did. As the President-General of the Ozoro kingdom, I take the whole blame,” he said.

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