According to Kate Ezra (1986), in Bamana society, women facing fertility difficulties can join the Gwan, an association that offers them support. If, thanks to the Gwan, they manage to have children, they symbolically dedicate them to the association.
Typical Gwan sculptures represent ideals of beauty and virtue and depict figures such as the mother with the child, the father and other members of the community. During annual ceremonies, they are carefully cleaned, oiled and adorned with loincloths, laces and beads, in a gesture of renewal and respect. Among these sculptures, figures of women sitting with a child are called ‘Gwandusu’, a name that evokes strength, courage and the ability to perform great deeds.