Stewart understands the practice to be particularly common in the southern part of Malawi. "I think the fact that thought he could communicate so openly with the community shows that we're in an uphill battle," Stewart says. She points to female genital mutilation and forced child marriage as other examples. Stewart calls adolescence "a hot point for mistreatment" as some cultures have developed practices to prevent female sexual autonomy. How widespread is this practice in Malawi, and does it occur in other parts of Africa? "Especially with this man disclosing his HIV status, there are major health consequences for girls," says Stewart. Unprotected sex is considered part of the ritual. Some families tell girls they will get infections if they don't have sex with a "hyena," says Stewart.īut it also happens in other life stages, too - after an abortion or when a woman becomes a widow, reports the BBC.Īccording to a study on sexual cleansing rituals in Western Kenya from 2007, sexual intercourse is seen as a sacred rite when performed as a ritual - and has the power to cleanse evil spirits and sanctify. Why would people pay a man to have sex with young girls and women?Īccording to Stewart, the practice is viewed as a way to ritually cleanse girls after their first period, usually within a three-day window. "Obviously the idea of a predator, but I would imagine it's also not a very highly regarded animal." We spoke to two staffers from Equality Now, an international human rights organization devoted to girls and women's issues, to learn more: Christa Stewart, a program manager, and Naitore Nyamu, a program officer based in Kenya. He is one of 10 hyenas in the Nsanje district, where he lives, and is paid from $4 to $7 each time, reported the BBC. Aniva told the BBC he was HIV-positive and had not disclosed this information to the families who hired him. This week, a man named Eric Aniva from Malawi was arrested after the BBC broadcast the 27-minute radio report " 'Stealing Innocence' in Malawi," which featured Aniva bragging about being paid to sleep with more than 100 young girls and women, some as young as 12 years old.Īniva is known in Malawi as a "hyena" man - someone hired by families to have sex with girls after their first menstruation. Eric Aniva told the BBC that he was hired by families to have sex with more than 100 young women, including children, in what was described as "ritual cleansing."
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