Tribal Wives

S01E04: Himba Tribe, Namibia

Yvonne, a 36-year-old, single, working mother of three, spends some time with the Himba tribe, as the series in which six women each live for nearly a month with six different tribes around the world continues. Like many women today, juggling the pressures of Western life, the six feel something may be missing. By spending time with tribes in which women's roles are very different, they hope they can find some answers and, in doing so, change their own lives. The Himba is a semi-nomadic tribe of pastoralists who live on the harsh, sun-baked plains of northern Namibia. The women are striking, covering their hair and bodies in red ochre. It's a polygamous tribe, where men can have up to five wives and marriages are arranged for girls when they are as young as 12. Like so many women, Yvonne feels ground down by her daily routine and by coping with the demands of family life. She wants to discover just who she is as she travels to Africa to join these strong, powerful women. Theirs is a tough existence where food is scarce but it's also a sisterhood laced with humour. In temperatures in excess of 45 degrees centigrade, Yvonne gets to grips with Himba life. But, as she struggles with the tribe's deep gender divides and arranged marriages for young girls, she begins to make discoveries about herself ... especially when drought threatens to devastate the village.

Overview

Six women are given the opportunity to travel to some of the most remote parts of the world and experience life with a tribe in this new series for BBC Two. Like many women today, juggling with the pressures of Western life from careers to home and family, all the women think something is missing. By spending time with tribes in which women's roles are very different, they hope they can find some answers and, in doing so, change their own lives. The series provides a unique and intimate insight into the lives of women in tribes around the world, from the Amazon to sub-Saharan Africa. For the six Western women, it proves to be a life-changing experience as they immerse themselves into living as a tribal woman in some of the world's most remote and beautiful locations.

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Episodes

S01E01 Kuna Tribe, Panama

June 18, 2008 60 min
In the first programme, Sass, a 34-year-old from Oxford, spends time with the Kuna tribe in Panama. The Kuna Indians live on a stunning scattering of coral islands off the coast of Panama. A monogamous...

S01E02 Waorani Tribe, Ecuador

June 25, 2008 60 min
Ecuador's Waorani tribe are the hosts to the latest British woman to immerse herself in tribal living, in the series that provides a unique and intimate insight into the lives of women in tribes across...

S01E03 Afar Tribe, Ethiopia

July 2, 2008 60 min
A former alcoholic Scottish air hostess experiences life with one of Ethiopia's most fiercely independent nomadic tribes, as Tribal Wives continues. 28 year-old Lana hasn't touched a drop for over a year, but she is...

S01E04 Himba Tribe, Namibia

July 9, 2008 60 min
Yvonne, a 36-year-old, single, working mother of three, spends some time with the Himba tribe, as the series in which six women each live for nearly a month with six different tribes around the world...

S01E05 Maasai, Tanzania

July 16, 2008 60 min
The Maasai are one of the world's most famous and largest tribes in Africa. They are polygamous, with men allowed to have up to ten wives, and women expected to marry and bear children from...

S01E06 Mentawai, Indonesia

July 27, 2008 60 min
The Mentawai live deep in the jungle on a remote island off the coast of Indonesia - a monogamous tribe where women are tattooed and sharpen their teeth. Their lives are dominated by the spirit...

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