On 5^th Dec 2010, I had an opportunity of listening to Women activists from MIFUMI a Local NGO in Eastern Uganda talking about bride price and how it leads to gender based violence over NTV Uganda.

Mrs. Rhoda Kalema a former legislator, Sec/member of national executive Women’s council as well as former member of Parliament Kiboga said that bride price religated women to the status of an item. Mrs Kalema says that in March 1960, they collected views all over the country about the status of women, registrarton of marriages and brideprice among others. Of the gathered information, the issue of bride price was very crucial.

First of all, they realized that it differed from one region to another being more serious in some regions than others. She wondered whether it should be called “BRIDE WEALTH”. With the intention of buying a woman, bride price not only  reduces the status of women to a mere item but also give the groom a wrong attitude towards his wife-(That he bought her).

Before colonial times, it’s said that our culture considered it as BRIDAL GIFT which was given voluntarily and at will. By calling it “BRIDE PRICE”, marriage is reduced to an ordinary contract. Why make it a purchase? It’s important to note that bride price affects men too. They have to work very hard to raise it and the long term effects are usually violence against the woman because the marriage started on a wrong note(“I BOUGHT YOU”). For more about bride price in Uganda, please contact http://www.mifumi.org

 By Maureen Agena: Blogging during the 16 Days of Activism against GBV.