Waist beads have been used for centuries in West African cultures as symbols of fertility, sexuality, and spirituality. Today, they have many practical and aesthetic uses around the world.

From the waist beads, to the head wraps to the traditional clothing patterns, it makes a community more unified. "It has so many purposes, that as a woman, you can't help but to wear it," Aicha said.

From stunning crystals to beaded jewels, women around the world have been wearing waist beads as a fashion statement and ...

General News of Saturday, 20 March 2021. Source: www.ghanaweb.com 2021-03-20 People&Places: Ghanaian beads and their designs - what you didn’t know ...

When beads are used, attention is paid to their shape, size, designs, colour and material. They are worn around the neck, wrist, waist, ankles, arms, fingers, head and on clothing." ...

Boatemaa, 31, one of the ladies told me she wears beads because ‘It gives me shape’. The most popular reason for a lady to wear beads on her waist is for the notions that it accentuates her waist.

In the Togo capital, the fashion for wearing strings of beads around the waist -- an ancient tradition known as 'djonou' in the Gulf of Guinea region -- has made a comeback in recent years.