Ethiopian tribe where women are brutally flogged as they compete for love and marriage

In the tradition known as Ukuli Bula in Omo River Valley, Ethiopia, women are flogged as part of a rite of passage ceremony for boys. The men are then allowed to marry since the ceremony makes him a man.

The young women declare their love for the young men at the heart of the celebration. The ladies do not run away but rather ask the men to lash them and proudly display their wounds as evidence of their bravery after being whipped.

Photographer Jeremy Hunter captured a tribal ceremony by the Hamar tribe in Ethiopia on camera. The event reveals a practice where young women are flogged to demonstrate the sacrifices they will be able to make for men.

The women praise the man undergoing the rite of passage in song and trumpet, professing their love for him and the desire to be flogged with the whip.

To soften the impact of the cane, they cover their bodies with butter. The beating of young women is done by family members of the boy undergoing the rite of passage called a Maza—those who have already gone through this rite of passage. While some do it violently, others can be tender.

According to their tradition, the scars show a woman’s capacity for love and endurance. She can also ask those who flogged her for assistance in the future if she ever needs it.