The grandmothers specifically have the duty to teach the girls lessons which are on hard or embarassing topics. They say that their mothers are too shy to preach to their own daughters this way. The woman, especially as an elder is the holder of the license to teach ethics to the young. Even in modern times, the primary school female teachers, and choir leaders in church, compose music and song to teach moral ideas to children. Hymns are set by women so that they can be sung in the home by the family and school children learn songs that teach them to have gratitude for their elders.
Women are major participants in the ceremonies of all the stages in a traditional life cycle.
When a new child is born the occasion is rejoiced robustly by the women. The child is the child of all the village women, not just his or her mother's. The choral texture of the example song is reflective of this sentiment. At girl's initiation ceremonies, drums are beaten by old women and the initiates, in Vinda culture, move through the village in a snake-like formation to express their belonging to this stage of life. The marriage celebration is marked by uproarious group singing as the women congratulate their age mates who they will 'lose' to the husband's family, but who will now become a true and usefulmember of the community.