Vaginal practices in the creation of womanhood and women’s attainment of sexual pleasure in rural Zimbabwe

The construction of womanhood and perceptions of sexual pleasure are among the many reasons women worldwide engage in vaginal practices. This article contends that some women engage in these practices to create an ideal state of the vagina and the body so as to enable them to achieve optimal womanhood and experience sexual pleasure. It draws on data from a qualitative ethnographic study that examined the use of vaginal practices by women in Tshitatshawa village in the Tsholotsho district in Zimbabwe which explored common vaginal practices in that setting. Vaginal practices have a catalytic role to play in achieving sexual pleasure and in shaping the concept of an 'ideal' woman. The impact of both primary and secondary socialisation on the perpetuation of vaginal practices by women was explored. Issues related to women's agency and autonomy vis-à-vis vaginal practices use were examined. The research concludes that vaginal practices are integral to the construction of womanhood and the attainment of women's sexual pleasure. Through these practices, women exercise bodily autonomy and express their agency in ways that also enable them to attain sexual pleasure.