This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this site you consent to our use of cookies. Close

Africa Legal

Africa Legal

  • NEWS
  • JOBS
  • COURSES
  • CLIENTS
    • Sign in
    • Sign up
  • NEWS
  • COURSES
  • JOBS
    • Sign In
    • Sign Up
  • News
  • Courses
  • Jobs
  • Events
  • Business A-Z
  • Post a job
  • Contact Us
  • Clients
CLIENT SIGN IN
Country
  • Uganda
  • South Africa
  • Kenya
  • Nigeria
  • Cameroon
  • United Kingdom
  • Cote d'Ivoire
  • Ghana
  • Tanzania
  • Zambia
  • Botswana
  • Morocco
  • Zimbabwe
  • Mauritius
  • Mozambique
  • Sudan
  • Rwanda
  • Ethiopia
  • Angola
  • Egypt
  • Togo
  • Mali
  • South Sudan
  • Swaziland
  • Senegal
  • Malawi
  • France
  • Guinea
  • Middle East
  • Democratic Republic of the Congo
  • Gambia
  • Sierra Leone
  • Germany
Category
  • Profiles
  • Analysis & Opinion
  • Career advice
  • In-house
  • Latest news
  • Press releases
  • Africa Legal Blog
  • Women in Law
  • Innovation
  • Human Rights
Practice area
  • Agriculture
  • Arbitration
  • Aviation
  • Banking and Finance
  • Capital markets
  • Charties and pro bono
  • Company commercial
  • Competition and antitrust
  • Construction and engineering
  • Consumer products
  • Corporate finance and M&A
  • Criminal
  • Education
  • Employment and benefits
  • Energy and natural resources
  • Environmental
  • Financial services
  • Fraud & white collar crime
  • Funds
  • Governance | risk and compliance
  • Government and public sector
  • Health and safety
  • Healthcare and pharmaceuticals
  • Insurance/Reinsurance
  • Intellectual Property
  • Litigation and dispute resolution
  • Logistics and transportation
  • Manufacturing and Industrial
  • Private client and family
  • Private equity
  • Projects and infrastructure
  • Real estate
  • Regulatory
  • Restructuring | insolvency and debt recovery
  • Shipping and maritime
  • Taxation
  • Technology media and telecoms
  • Travel and tourism
close

Registration

Registered Successfully!!!. We have sent you a confirmation email to your email address.
close


View My Saved News


close You must login to save your news
  • LOGIN
  • NEW USER

Login to your account

Forgotten your password?
or

Create an Account

close


View My Saved News


« Back

Bride price scrapping on the table

Payment of the “bride price” is a significant part of marriage rites in several African cultures, but many have sought to have it scrapped. Alfred Olufemi writes on the latest proposal before the Rwandan Parliament to ban this practice.

Nov 22, 2022
Alfred Olufemi
Share

In Rwandan culture, the groom pays a “bride price” before marrying a woman, but some believe that this age-old tradition has only placed a financial burden on couples.

Leonard Ndagijimana, a member of the Rwandan parliament, has now proposed that the practice of paying a bride price should be scrapped as a way of preventing problems facing many Rwandan families.

The Minister of Gender and Family Promotion, Jeannette Bayisenge, was also present at the 15 November plenary session to respond to questions about problems facing families in Rwanda, when the topic arose.

“We know very well that bride price is a burden to men who want to marry. The price has reached upwards of RWF 1 million (US$925),” said Ndagijimana. The lawmaker further argued that bride price, among other wedding rites, has caused many married couples to seek bank loans.

"You find that a newly married couple is already in debt. Imagine a family starting from such a scenario. Most of them have bank loans or are indebted to their friends,” he said.

“Some couples spend RWF 6 million (US$5 552) on the wedding ceremony, and they don’t have what to eat after the festivities. How would they not get involved in conflicts? Instead of looking at each other in the lenses of the honeymoon, they see each other as problems,” the lawmaker commented, citing the rising number of divorce cases and gender-based violence in the country.

However, Bayisenge maintained that bride price is not the problem. "Our laws do not determine bride price as a requirement for marriage. Bride price has a meaning in our culture, it’s a sign of appreciation,” she argued. “Some parents today perceive it as the price tag for the girl. And that is where our efforts should be targeted in order to change the perception. Otherwise the tradition itself is not the problem.”

Ndagijimana’s call to scrap bride price, although the latest on the continent, is not the first. In 2012 Kenya’s government announced plans to ban bride price payments and legalise polygamy.

The controversial proposals, although approved by the cabinet, were not passed by parliament and as a result couldn’t take effect. In the bill proposed by the executive arm of government, it was noted that the ban is intended to give women and children protection under the law.

In 2021, a Nigerian lawmaker, Kenneth Ibeh, voiced a similar concern. He proposed a bill to peg the expenses of customary marriage in Imo state to a maximum of N180 000 (US$406), lamenting the fact that young women of marriageable age remained unmarried due to the high costs of marriage and the bride price. 

 


To join Africa Legal's mailing list please click here

Copyright : Re-publication of this article is authorised only in the following circumstances; the writer and Africa Legal are both recognised as the author and the website address www.africa-legal.com and original article link are back linked. A bio for the writer can be provided on request.

RELATED CATEGORY NEWS

“Patent abuse” challenged in South Afr Read more
Animal Law course open for registration Read more
Nigerian businesses get a legislative Read more

RELATED COUNTRY NEWS

Linking Hands With Business Read more
Unlocking African Expansion Read more
Hungry for Expansion Read more
Africa Legal
  • About us
  • Contact us
  • Terms of use
  • Privacy and cookies policy
Members
  • Find a job
  • Take a course
  • Read news
  • Terms and conditions
  • Cancellations and refunds
Clients
  • Terms and conditions
  • Post a job
  • Host a course
  • Advertise
  • Share news
Connect with us
© Copyright 2023 | Africa Legal. All rights reserved. | Privacy Policy