It is the responsibility of the aunt to ensure that before the wedding night when the marriage is consummated, the bride has maintained her virginity, and the groom is skilled in bed.
At the age of eight, the aunt begins to groom the young girl for marriage. Once she develops breasts, she ought not to have sex. A bride who is not a virgin is considered of less value and suffers social exclusion or even the death penalty.
The Banyankoles consider fatness to be a sign of attractiveness. Young girls are kept indoors and fed beef, millet porridge and a lot of milk to make them fat.