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Results for bride price (uganda)

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Author: Muthegheki, Saad Baluku

Title: An Exploratory Study of Bride Price and Domestic Violence in Bundibugyo District, Uganda

Summary: This report presents findings of an exploratory research study on the links between the practice of bride price and gender based violence in Bundibugyo, Western Uganda, the first of its kind in this part of the country. It was designed as a response to the growing interest in bride price and to provide information to assist in the mitigation of the negative impacts of this traditional practice. Bride price is used to validate customary marriages and is very common in many African countries. Typically, bride price consist of a contract between families where material items (often cattle or other animals) or money are paid by the groom to the bride’s family in exchange for the bride and invariably her labor and her capacity to produce children. Although much anecdotal evidence exists about the traditional practice of bride price as practiced in most Ugandan communities, there has been very little research to provide details on how this practice impacts on people’s lives. Such data would be valuable in informing the public, government, policy makers, duty bearers and other institutions that are working on the issue both in Uganda and Africa as a whole. The study was part of a gender based violence research development initiative across East and Central Africa. Centre for Human Rights Advancement (CEHURA) a community based organization (CBO) and human rights agency working on sexual and gender based violence conducted the study, with technical support from the International Centre for Research on Women (ICRW), Liverpool VCT Care and Treatment in Kenya and the Gender and Health Research Unit of the South African Medical Research Council. The exploratory study focused on gaining insights into the knowledge, attitudes and practices related to bride price as well as its relationship with domestic violence in Bundibugyo district in Western Uganda. The research team conducted 12 focus group discussions (145 participants), 12 key informant interviews with community leaders and 9 semi-structured in-depth interviews with men and women in the communities. The study found bride price is a very strongly rooted cultural practice with all participants largely supportive of its existence. However commercialization has changed the practice over time and its essential meaning has been eroded creating obstacles in current times. The study showed the struggle many young men have in trying to meet the demands of this practice- particularly poor young men who could not pay bride price and tried to find alternative ways to meet societal demands. Although some participants viewed bride price as a form of protection for women within marriages by providing them respect, status and acknowledgement within society, the process and payment also prescribed their roles in the marriages and ensured women’s subordination to husbands which invariable condoned the abuse of wives. On the other hand men could lose status and respect if they were not able to pay bride price. The study has pointed to the need to engage with communities and the state on how to mitigate the negative impacts of bride price on these communities.

Details: Bundibugyo: Centre for Humjan Rights Advancement; Cape Town, South Africa: South African Medical Research Council, Gender and Health Research Unit, 2012. 22p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 4, 2013 at: http://www.mrc.ac.za/gender/Bridepricedomesticviolence.pdf

Year: 2012

Country: Uganda

URL: http://www.mrc.ac.za/gender/Bridepricedomesticviolence.pdf

Shelf Number: 128215

Keywords:
Bride Price (Uganda)
Domestic Violence
Gender-Based Violence
Violence Against Women