By John Owoo

(Accra – Ghana)

In dimly lit rooms, behind closed doors, and through whispered traditions passed from mother to daughter, countless women across Sub-Saharan Africa are trained to provide pleasure, not their own, but that of men.

Indeed, a photo exhibition by Ghanaian photographer Fibi Afloe, in collaboration with Belgian academic Prof. Ann Cassiman, unveils this hidden world and offers a searing, intimate look into the lengths vulnerable women go to satisfy male desire. It is currently ongoing at the Kawukudi Library in Accra.

From bodily modifications and the use of cold creams, medications, vagina steaming, and secret herbs, to carefully choreographed sexual performances, the exhibition reveals not only physical acts but also the emotional and cultural weight carried by women conditioned to serve, please, and endure.

Titled “Kayanmata,” the photos by Afloe draw the viewer into a realm where beauty, suffering, and agency collide, encompassing skin lightening and cosmetic procedures to conform to erotic ideals imposed by colonial residue and global media. These are not merely portraits of women, but of systems – patriarchal, economic, and traditional – that shape their sexual identities.

Through deep conversations with single and married women, Cassiman and Afloe explored the moral anxieties and disagreements surrounding women and their sexuality. It also highlights that the issue relates to women’s expectations, resistance, and desires within marriage, along with their fears of unfaithful men and co-wives joining their households.

The exhibition equally explores the impact of “Kayanmata” on couples, as most “Kayanmata” products promise to give women control over their sexual partners – a prospect that instills suspicion in men, who also have a fear of being manipulated by women.  

Largely a documentary photographer based in Nima, Afloe’s work focuses on everyday life, intimate portraiture, and social themes ranging from gender, climate change, and culture. Her practice is shaped by a personal connection and a desire to express the lived experiences of those she photographs, often linking their stories to her own.

An Associate Professor of Anthropology at the University of Leuven in Belgium, Cassiman focuses on young women in Muslim migrant communities in Accra. She explores themes such as kinship, womanhood, apprenticeship, knowledge, love, and marriage. Her research consistently emphasizes visual storytelling, both in her research methods and in exploring new forms of anthropological knowledge production.

Produced by Cassiman and Nii Obodai in collaboration with Nuku Studio in Tamale, the exhibition ends on Saturday, May 31, 2025.

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