Baby With Tribal Mark Scars Goes Viral In Ghana; So Do You Think It’s Just Culture?

A few months ago, we wrote an article about tribal scars and whether it was time to stop them or not. The article was decorated with many adults who had grown up with their tribal scars, some even adorable women and shot by most likely professional journalist photographers.

As we know, those kind of pictures make it to some of the most artistic art galleries and some end up in museums. Some also reach books which people pay to see. There is a glamorizing end to tribal scars from the homes of those who live comfortably and don’t have to live with them in their daily lives.

So it is only normal for the typical reaction to present the, ‘Leave them alone’ attitude, ‘it is their culture’. ‘They are not bothering you’ ‘they look happy in the pictures so obviously they are happy with those big scars across their faces’.

But now this goes viral. A picture of a small baby, with fresh scars carved on it’s faces. The comments swirling on the picture are not encouraging. Yes it’s culture, but there is a lot of culture that isn’t necessarily right, or essential or even relative any more.

This young child will have to spend his/her whole childhood with these scars on it’s face. Now if he or she has not further ambitions than to succeed beyond his or her village then it has no problem. But if it choses a different life, he or she will forever be bound to unwanted attention, fear and question regarding what is that on your face.

Should the Next Ghanaian government, be it NPP or NDC ban tribal scars from rural areas?

— FashionGHANA.com (@FashionGhana) November 17, 2016

In my career, especially as a model agents, I have seen a good number of aspiring model in Ghana whom would have had international modeling potential but will have to say good bye to any such future. Girls who can’t feel comfortable approaching a guy because of such scars on her face.

So do you think it is just culture? Or should we kick off a petition to ban such acts in Ghana? We await your comments.