women's choice

It is more than just an annual date in the calendar. They sing, they compete with smiles and gaze. Their voices turn into a single one.

Once a year in Chad, at the end of the rainy season, the nomadic Wodaabe tribe (Mbororo) gahter in a festival - the Gerewol. A celebration of beauty and identity.

It is women's choice. Young girls of the tribe select the men. The men paint their faces with colours, often so that the whites of the eye and teeth are prominent. Their outfits are in a huge diversity of colours. From a western cultural perspective, the men's appearance with makeup and outfits can only be described as feminine. They dance like male birds in order to attract females. Their male beauty ideal highlights tallness, white eyes and teeth; the men will often roll their eyes and show their teeth to emphasize these characteristics.