Beads have always been a very important aspect of our Ghanaian culture. During local festivities, we see people dressed in traditional attires and some women accessorized with beads on their arms, ankles, around their neck and waist, and other parts of the body.
Wearing of beads on the ankles, however, is frowned on these days due to one or two reasons. Abigail K. Sedufia, a Fashion Designer/ Student, and Emma Aisha Rassac, Chief Executive Officer of ‘Obsessed with Blings’, have talked about the negative perception that our Ghanaian society has cultivated about the wearing of anklets.
Emma stated that some people are against the wearing of anklets because they believe anyone who wears an anklet is a prostitute. She added, “Some also complain that wearing anklets means you’re bi-sexual or a lesbian but it is part of the Ashanti culture. Women used to wear beads on their elbows, ankle, on the head and around the neck so what is the difference now?
In her opinion, we are losing our culture if we begin to frown on women wearing beads on their ankles. This was during an interview on eTV Ghana’s award-winning Girl Vibes show.
Abigail, also speaking on this, mentioned that some people see anklets as a sign of slavery since our forefathers who were colonized in the past used to have chains on their ankles. She noted however that personally, she has nothing against people who wear anklets.
By: Maureen Dedei Quaye
