Mursi Lip Plates: Beauty or Protection?

The Mursi people of Ethiopia's Omo Valley traditionally wear lip plates, which serve as symbols of beauty, womanhood, social status, and cultural identity, with girls beginning the practice in their mid-teens as a rite of passage into adulthood and readiness for marriage; while some theories suggest the tradition may have originated during the slave trade era as a protective measure to reduce women's attractiveness to slave traders, the true origin remains uncertain, and the practice continues today as a powerful symbol of Mursi heritage and cultural pride.