The Mifumi Project
Domestic Violence and Bride Price –Referendum
Project
Baseline Survey Report
TITLE:
Attitudes to Bride price and its links to domestic violence
and human rights abuse.
The need to reform or abolish bride price in Padhola, Tororo District, Uganda.
Martin de Porres Osuna
P.O. Box 669, Tororo
ABSTRACT
The aim of this baseline survey was to probe and examine the attitudes of the people of
Padhola, in Tororo District, Eastern Uganda to bride price and to determine if the practice
should be abolished or at least reformed because of its links to domestic violence and
human rights abuses.
The socio-economic parameters and the historical perspective are included in the analysis of
the attitude patterns considered in the research. A total of 100 people were sampled from
all over Padhola per Sub County, in 10 sub counties. Thus N = 1000. The sample was
stratified by age, sex and education. Of these, education had the least significance showing
that the level of education one attains does not influence the attitude to bride price.
Other findings were as follows:
a)
There is favourable attitude to bride price in Padhola, which is motivated by various
different vested interests in the society. Some of these motives are historical based,
some power base, still some based on loyalty to culture and others are profit based.
b)
There is unfavourable attitude to bride price because it causes problems in society.
E.g. causes much suffering to women and sometimes to children; it also causes some
men to lose property like land, cattle or even houses to pay back bride price when
their daughters divorce.
c)
There is unfavourable attitude to the abolition of bride price because of the strong
emotional attachment many people have to it.
d)
Most people agreed that bride price punishes rather than helps the couple who are
marrying.
e)
Most people - men included – also agreed that bride price brings a lot of suffering to
the married women as it turns them into commodities for sale and the property of
men.
f)
Most people also agreed that men gain more from the bride price than women, and
that it is unfair to women.
g)
Though most people opposed the abolition of bride price, they proposed that it be
reformed by reducing it and making it unreturnable in cases of divorce.
i
4
1.0
INTRODUCTION:
Bride price is not unique to Padhola or to Uganda as such. It is “an essential element of
marriage in many cultures and countries around the world (Kulsum, 2000). In Uganda
most people believe that bride price is essential to validate a marriage (FIDA – U, 1999).
Yet its popularity not withstanding, bride price brings untold sufferings to many
women in Uganda generally and in Padhola in particular.
Women and children
comprise the bigger proportion of those that experience the negative effects of bride
price.
This survey was conducted only in Padhola and among the Jopadhola in a few urban
centres in Uganda, but the implication of its findings can be discussed with reference to
other societies in Uganda without any serious prejudice to cultural differences and
practices.
In the pre-colonial Padhola, bride price did not exist in the same form it does today.
Marriage was by arrangement between the parents of the couple intending to marry. In
fact betrothal was made while the children were still infants. The question of consent
was not even thought about since both the boy and the girl were infants. Their later
marriage depended entirely on the friendship of their parents who, whatever gifts they
exchanged, did so discreetly without being motivated by the desire for profit or power.
Marriage was encouraged and nurtured for the purpose of procreation and expanding
of the community, hence all hindrances to it were minimised.
The young bride worked with her mother-in-law and they cooked together for at least
one whole year before she was given her own kitchen. During that period the new
family was assisted to produce their own food and learn how to resolve conflicts
between themselves.
Bride price was never a major element in this process of building up new family for the
village. It broke into this tranquil culture as a result of the profiteering side effect of
market economy, which came in with colonialism. At first prospective bridegrooms
gave a few iron implements as gifts for their brides such as hoes and bungles. But later,
the girls’ parents became greedy and began to demand for more and more properties
and finally the minimum payment was placed at 5 cows, 5 goats and what they call
5
“Small things” which constitute anything from new set of clothes for the bride’s
parents to a whole range of things that a child needs to use at home until she becomes
an adult.
Naturally the man who pays all these many things considers that he is doing business,
he is buying the woman. He will therefore, treat her as a lesser human being than
himself. He may beat her, abuse her, humiliate her, deny her financial support, torture
her emotionally and all the time justifies these actions on the ground that he paid bride
price for her. It is because of this drastic shift in attitude in marriage and the treatment
of women with the resultant suffering they experience that the Nagongera Women’s
Guild have taken the initiative to seek the best ways to restore dignity to the bride and
the married woman and at the same time to reward her parents. This research has been
done to find out what people think about bride price and whether they want it
abolished or not. It also sought to find out any alternatives that people might suggest
and if they are aware of the sufferings the bride price brings to women.
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2.0
Procedure:
The procedure that was used in this research was as follows:
As soon as the survey was commissioned to establish the current attitudes towards
Bride price and its links to domestic violence in Padhola, a selected number of people
began to hold meetings to generate attitude statements necessary for the survey. These
people were selected along the following criteria:
the key stakeholders, sponsors,
consultant, the research assistants and from allies to the key stakeholders.
Four meetings were held after which the consultant drew up a questionnaire. Twenty
attitude statements were formulated 10 of which were fixed ended and 10 were openended allowing the respondent to express additional opinion. Research assistants were
trained; one for every sub county and they were also to train two volunteers each to
assist them in their areas of operation.
The questionnaires were administered to
individuals not groups. People were approached wherever it was convenient for them
to fill in the answers. E.g. at home, at work, along the roads or in leisure places. A
maximum period of two calendar months was given for this part of the research, and
the response rate was very good over 90% of the questionnaires were returned from
every sub county. The respondents showed great interest in the research, which clearly
shows that the matters of bride price are topical in Padhola.
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3.0
Methodology
The methodology used in this survey involved paper and pen and also verbal
interview.
Where the respondent was literate and could understand the statement, very little help
was given by the research assistant. But where the respondent could not read or write,
the research assistant had to read out the statements translate and interpret them to
him/her and then record the response given. This had to be done because in every sub
county the population was sampled to cover a proportion of all groups of people living
there. This was a stratified sampling method. It was the best way to get every shade of
attitude from different people throughout Padhola. Sub counties were stratified by
parishes, gender, age and education. The gender was again stratified by age and
education. The youth age was limited from 35 years and below. Education was put at
primary school level or ability to read and write.
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3.1
Instruments:
Twenty attitude statements were used for testing whether people’s attitudes were
favourable or unfavourable towards bride price.
In one set of 10 statements the
respondent was merely required to tick the answer they agreed with which was
yes/No. In the other set of 10 statements, however, the respondents were required to
express a considered opinion to allow for probing and getting new suggestions
regarding bride price. The Thurston attitude test was used in this survey as it was
considered more suitable as compared to the Liket scale, which would require linking
the assessment of the results to be dependent on other factors.
The open-ended
statements allowed for free expression of whatever the respondent felt towards the
bride price and this gave good insight into the views which many people hold quietly
on this topic due to lack of forum to express them.
3.2
Hypothesis:
The following assumptions were made for the purpose of testing how strongly and
emotionally people’s attitudes are still favourable to Bride price. Marriage is central in
the life of all human societies and one would rightly assume that bride price as a
hindrance to smooth and peaceful marriage will easily be rejected by most people
where it is demanded before marriage.
1.
Bride price confers on men unfair advantages over women.
2.
Bride price is not necessary for the contemporary marriage.
3.
Bride price promotes domestic violence and violates women’s human rights.
9
1.0
The Results
It is the Thurstone type test, which is used here to discover the nature of the attitudes
expressed by the respondents in each group.
The attitudes are examined by the
percentage response to each item group by group. A high percentage means more
favourable attitude while a low percentage means less favourable attitude.
In general, the results from this survey show that there are contradictory attitudes to
pride price, making it a controversial matter. The respondents tried to explain their
attitudes in the open-ended statements/question but their answers confirm the same
standing attitudes to bride price as both favourable and unfavourable.
4.1 Overall attitudes towards bride price (N = 1000)
This baseline survey showed that in general most people of Padhola still hold a
favourable attitude to bride price. 70.3% agreed to the statement: “it is necessary for
men to pay bride price for their wives”. This proportion comprised both men and
women 20.8% answered ‘no’ to this statement and only 9.1% were neutral leaving the
statement unticked. 64.8% agreed with the statement, “Bride price shows that a woman
is properly married and gives the man rights over his wife”.
This also shows
favourable attitude to bride price. 49.6% agreed to the statement, “I know there is a law
in Uganda to force all men to pay bride price”. This response shows that one of the
reasons giving favourable attitude to bride price is this belief that is compulsory for
every man to pay it. People tend to react favourably to it because of the fear of the law
and because it has always been there. It was established by the elders a long time ago
and we just couldn’t stop paying it, as one man remarked to the researcher. To the
statement, “women should also begin to pay bride price for their husbands”, only
13.8% agreed in contrast to 75.2% against and 11% neutral. Here the attitude is not
favourable because people think that there is no law to enforce it and it was not
established long ago by elders. This same attitude is illustrated by the response to the
statement. “All bride price should be abolished. It is old fashioned” 63.7% answered
‘no’ to this statement showing a strong favourable attitude to bride prices but the
reason most respondents gave for this favourable attitude is simply that bride price is a
long established culture and paying it shows that a man is well off economically. To
the statement “without bride price women can not respect their husbands,” 50.6%
10
answered yes; 37.7% answered ‘no’ and 11.7% were neutral. Again it is clear here that
culture dictates the favourable attitude to bride price. Payment of bride price gives
manpower over his wife and she must therefore respect him, no matter how he treats
her. The following statement confirms all such attitudes in connection with bride price
that are negatively motivated. “A man who has paid bride price has the right to beat
his wife if she misbehaves” 31.6% answered ‘yes’ to that statement, 56.1% answered no
and 11.7 were neutral. The proportion that answered ‘yes’ though less than that which
answered ‘no’ is quite significant. If in a village 30 men out of 100 beat their wives
regularly this will make considerably more unhappy people in that village than just the
30 women experiencing the physical violence.
The other people will be unhappy
because of their relationships to the 30 women. And the violence will be increased by
other people jostling to share the little bride price paid for the one woman. This is
confirmed by the favourable answer to the following statement. “Bride price brings
quarrels among the relatives as they all want some of it, 62.4% answered ‘yes’ to that
statement as opposed to 26.8% that answered ‘no’ and 10.8% that were neutral. So it is
true that bride price promotes domestic violence. 51.5% agreed that men benefit more
from bride price than women. Only 26.6% disagreed with that statement and 22.1%
were neutral.
As to whether bride price punishes the man and woman who are
marrying or helps them, 52.6% said it does not punish them and 15.2% were neutral.
Concussively, while there is more favourable attitude towards bride price, it is also
agreed that it is strongly linked to domestic violence and to the abuse of women’s
human rights. Most respondents are prepared to keep paying bride price for women
but not paying the groom price for men. If paying for a woman is a good thing in itself,
why can’t it be the same in paying for a man?
4.2
The Youth (Female) (N = 288)
Most of these young women have favourable attitude to bride price, 79.1% of them
agreeing ‘yes’ to the statement. “It is necessary for men to pay the bride price for their
wives 88.4% agreed ‘yes to the statement that bride price shows that a woman is
properly married and gives the man rights over his wife”. This attitude shows that
these young women are being loyal to their culture. To the question “Does bride price
make a man own his wife? They agree that it does because it makes a man feel that he
11
has bought her. To the question, “Do you know any woman who have suffered from
their marriages because of bride price?
Most of them answered ‘yes’ and some
included themselves, but 68% of those same young women agreed ‘no’ to the statement.
“All bride price should be abolished. It is old fashioned” they want it reformed, but not
abolished. 91.1% answered ‘no’ to the statement. “Women should also begin to pay
bride price groom price for their husbands”. They are not ready to own their husbands
the same way the men own them by paying bride price. Only 32.4% agree to the
statement. Without bride price women can not respect their husbands”. And 25.7%
agree to the statement. “A man who has paid bride price has the right to beat his wife if
she misbehaves” It is surprising that even this small percentage should be found here.
But that is the truth on the ground and people tend to accept what they cannot change.
Most women resign to the cultures they find entrenched in their society and just try to
live with them even if they are suffering. 57.3% agreed, “Men gain more from bride
price. And 59.1% agreed that bride price brings quarrels among the relatives as they all
want some of it”.
63.3% agreed, “Bride price punishes the man and woman who are
marrying instead of helping them”. But in spite of this overwhelming expression of the
disadvantages of bride price, to the straightforward question, “should bride price be
abolished?”, less than 30% agreed ‘yes’.
The favourable attitude to bride price,
therefore seems to be cultural not rational.
4.3 Female adults (36 years and above) (N = 172)
There is also a general favourable attitude to bride price among this older group of
women, with the same contradiction shown in the unfavourable attitude brought by the
sufferings the women get due to bride price. 77.2% agreed ‘yes’ that, it is necessary for
a man to pay the bride price for their wives”. 68.4% agree that bride price shows that a
woman is properly married and gives the man rights over his wife”. But while the
older women agree that there is a law to enforce payment of bride price with 55.7%,
only 35.5% of the younger women agree to this. The reason they differ on this is
perhaps due to the more liberal attitude of the younger women. 91.3% of the elder
women also hold the view that women should not pay the bridegroom price. But 61.7%
agreed ‘yes’ to the question, “does bride price make a man own this wife? While they
recognise the power, which the bride price gives to a man over them, the women are
not prepared to fight for similar power over the man. 81.2% agree that men gain more
12
from bride price than women. 26.8% agree that “A man who has paid bride price has
the right to beat his wife if, she misbehaves. But only 23.5% agree, “A bride price
should be abolished. It is old fashioned.”
The contradictions in these women’s attitude illustrate the powerlessness they feel and
their inability to change the status quo. This attitude of surrender to suffering is what
indicates strongly that one needs external assistance to overcome one’s problems. The
women of Padhola clearly feel that they are trapped in a crashing culture of having
bride price paid for them and turning them into purchased objects for their husbands
but not equal partners in marriage. But the practice has been there for a very long time
and though they suffer gravely under it, they just have to support it because that is
better than being branded a rebel and denied a home.
4.4
Male attitude youth (35 and be below) (N = 329)
The pattern of attitude to bride price among the male youth is closely linked to the
adult male attitude, in two drastic ways. 60.1% of male youth agree to ‘yes’ to the
statement that “without bride price women cannot respect their husbands.” The adult
males agree with 59.6% to the same statement. Thus for men, bride price is seen as a
basis for exacting respect from women. A man does not have to earn respect from his
wife by behaving well towards her, once he has paid bride price for her. The other
drastic attitude among men is shown by the statement, “A man who has paid bride
price has the right to beat his wife if she misbehaves.” 42.8% of the youth agreed ‘yes’
to that statement while 35.1% of the elder males did the same. This largely confirms the
assumption that bride price promotes domestic violence. It contrasts quite sharply with
the percentages of the women of 25.7% for the youth and 26.8% for the elderly women
on the same statement. And the women who agree ‘yes’ to this statement do so in
resignation, not because it is correct for a man to beat his wife.
They explain so in answer to the question. “Does bride price make a man own his wife?
A typical reply to that question was ‘yes’, “This is because after a man paying bride
price he assumes he has already bought the girl.” The women resign to their fate just as
if they were articles of trade. But unlike commercial goods, most of which are not
returnable, the men treat their wives as returnable goods from which the full amount
can be reclaimed even after 10 years or more of marriage. 18.0% agreed ‘yes’ to the
statement that “women should also begin to pay bridegroom price for their husbands”
13
This contrasted with the 5.7% of the female youth for the same statement. It shows that
the young men’s attitudes to these payments are more favourable than their female
counterparts. But again some of the men may have just ticked ‘yes’ to this question to
sprite the women, knowing very well that the women have no property for paying
bridegroom price. 23.8% of the male youth agreed ‘yes’ to the statement. “All bride
price should be abolished. It is old fashioned.” This shows the 66:9% that said ‘no’ to
the statement have favourable attitude to it. But reason for that favourable attitude is
not because they enjoy paying the bride price. It is because it gives them unlimited
power over the women, and they gain wealth from it later when their own daughters
marry. Typical answers to the question, “Does bride price make a man own his wife?”
confirm that attitude. For example, “yes, because bride price makes me have unlimited
authority over her.” Or another one, “yes, she digs for me, does business for me, I can
grab a man with her and he pays me”. Over 90% of all the men’s answers were similar
to those two.
4.5 Male attitude – elderly (36 years and above) (N = 211)
Loyalty to culture is a strong force behind the favourable altitude to bride price among
all the groups sampled. But even so17.6% of the elderly male feel that the thing could
be reversed so that the women also begin to pay for their husbands. In contrast only
7.4% of the elderly females agree to that statement. It is also note worthy that 25% of
the men agree to the abolition of bride price whereas 23.5% of the women do so. Yet all
of them agree that it is the men who gain more from bride price than the women.
Back of all these attitudes is the strong attachment to the old way things have always
been done. In the other words, bride price has always been paid for women never for
men, even if it brings suffering to the women; it should be maintained, it should not be
abolished.
This is the attitude, which is consistently favourable in all the groups
sampled. 75.5% of the elderly males agree to the statement: “It is necessary for men to
pay bride price for their wives.” 73.9% agree to the statement that, “Bride price shows
that a woman is properly married and gives the man rights over his wife.” 59.6% agree
to the statement, “I know that there is a law in Uganda to force all men to pay bride
price.” But in fact no man is ever prosecuted for failing to pay bride price in Padhola.
The worst that is ever done is to take away the woman from him. The culture of paying
bride price is so strong that the people make it a law in their own mind. 59.6% agree
14
that, “Without bride price women cannot respect their husbands.” But this attitude is
based on assumption only. The women don’t support it and they give evidence that
there are many women who continue to live with and respect their husbands even
though no bride price has been paid on them. 35% of men confirm their fear by
agreeing too the statement. “A man who has paid bride price has the right to beat his
wife if she misbehaves.” 67% of these men believe that a man owns his wife because he
regards bride price as buying property. 66.5% of them also agree “men gain more from
bride price than women”. This means that men pay the bride price to men. The
women, and cattle are the properties that are traded in.
15
5.0
Summary results
In general, the results from this survey can be summarised as follows:
-
There is a favourable attitude to bride price because it is along established culture in
Padhola.
But there is also unfavourable attitude to it because of its many
disadvantages.
-
Logically, the unfavourable attitude should weigh more than the disadvantages against
Bride price leading to a kind of avoidance-approach-avoidance relationship between
the people and bride price.
a)
25% agree that the bride price remain as it is 5 cows, 5 goats and the rest of the other
articles usually paid.
b)
47% agree that bride price should be reduced and they suggest varying numbers from 1
cow to 4 cows and other usual additions. These also want the bride price not to be
returned even if the marriage breaks,
c)
15% want bride price to be made optional. It should be paid only as gifts to the parents
of the girl and only by those boys want to do so.
d)
13% want it to be paid by both the family of the boy and of the girl as contributions for
the young couple starting their home but not to the girl’s family or father.
5.1
The Hypothesis Findings
This base line survey sought to establish the attitudes to bride price and its links to
domestic violence and human rights abuse. It also sought to find out people’s attitudes
to the abolition of bride price or its being reformed. Response shows the following
assumptions:
Hypothesis 1
Bride price confers on men unfair advantages over women.
This has been confirmed by all groups 51.3 agreeing to the statement that men gain
more from bride price than women and answering ‘yes’ to the question that bride price
makes a man own his wife as he owns
as he owns property. 57.3% of the female
youth agreed ‘yes’ to the same. 66.7% of the male youth, 81.2% of the elderly females
and 67% of the elderly male supported the same attitude.
16
Hypothesis 2:
Bride price is not necessary for the contemporary marriage.
This assumption has not been proved.
In fact, all groups opposed it, 70.3% agreeing
‘yes’ to the statement. “It is necessary for men to pay bride price for their wives” and
only 25.7% agreeing yes that “all bride price should be abolished. It is old fashioned.”
79.1% of the female youth agreed that it is necessary for men to pay bride price and
only 16.4% agreed, “all bride price be abolished. 76.5% of the male youth agreed that it
is necessary for men to pay bride price, while 23.8% agreed that bride price should be
abolished. 77.2% the elderly women agreed that it is necessary for men to pay bride
price and only 23.5% agree to its abolition.
These figures show that people of Padhola are still strongly attached to the payment of
bride price. But the motives for this support are not entirely positive.
The overriding reason given for retaining is to preserve culture. But the women also
see bride price as the means through which they can get husbands, homes, respect and
status and a burial place when they die. They also get a little inheritance from their
husbands when bride price is paid for them; otherwise they get nothing from both their
parents and husbands. Bride price allows her to use her husband’s land for growing
crops.
The men support the payment of bride price because it gives them power over their
wives sex, labour, love respect children and wealth. It also makes their wives respect
their relatives and be inherited by one of the close male relatives in case of the
husband’s death. No married woman may use her wealth without her husband’s
permission.
Most of these people therefore support bride price for entirely vested interests and out
of fear or selfish motive.
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The women fear that without bride price their situation might become even worse than
it already is. They appear to think that better the devil you know than the angel you
don’t know.
As for men, their driving force seems to be preoccupation with power. From their
answer to the question. “Does bride price make a man own his wife?” They show that
bride price allows them to dictate over their wives, put them to virtual forced labour,
control their sexuality make them their slaves. Men fear that without bride price they
lose this unlimited privilege. They also fear that they might lose their rights over their
children. It is bride price that confers a man’s ownership over a child fathered by him.
Therefore it is logical to conclude that hypothesis two was rejected due to lack of
alternatives to bride price and due to socio-economic and political emotions associated
with it. This can only be changed after a long and vigorous sensitisation to show the
criminal links connected to bride price, and its disruptive nature on family life.
Clearly bride price is not necessary for contemporary marriage. Rapid urbanisation
human rights campaigns and globalisation as a whole make it irrelevant in today’s
world. People just need sensitisation in order to change from this undesirable practice.
Hypothesis 3:
Bride Price Promotes Domestic Violence And Violates Women’s Human Rights.
On the surface, it might appear that this assumption was not confirmed because to the
statement “ A man who has paid bride price has the right to beat his wife if she
misbehaves,” only small percentages agreed ‘yes’. 42.8% of male youth, 26.8 of elderly
females; 35.1% of elderly males and 25.7% of female youths and 31.6% of all these
groups combined. But it must be noted that domestic violence is more than just beating
someone. It can be physical abuse, which includes:
Hitting, shoving, kicking, biting, punching, burning etc; verbal abuse which includes
brutal word like you are ugly, useless etc; shouting at, cursing etc; sexual abuse,
emotional abuse or financial abuse.
All the above abuses have been experienced by the married women of Padhola as
shown in the answers to the questions below:
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1.
Have you ever been affected by bride price? Explain briefly.
2.
Do you know any women who have suffered from their marriage because of bride
price? Explain briefly.
Typical answers to these questions were:
-
“Yes, very many times I was beaten”.
-
“Yes, they were mistreated but could not leave because there was no bride price to return.”
-
“Yes, I lost land to pay back bride price”
“Yes. I know those who suffered torture and suicide because of bride price.”
-
“Yes I was fetched from my marriage because my husband could not pay the bride price.”
-
“Yes I forced to marry a man I did not love because he paid bride price for me.”
-
“Yes, since I only had wives from the same family, they hated each other and one bewitched the
elder sister.” (from a man)
-
“Yes, even if I was mistreated, was not supposed to leave because all the cows had been eaten.”
-
“Yes I know women who suffer. Beating is seen as suffering but it shows love” (from a man).
-
“Yes, I could not marry because the man I loved had no bride price” (from a 61 year old woman)
Answers to the statements: “bride price brings quarrels among the relatives as they all
want some of it” also confirm this assumption. All the groups answered, “yes” with
high percentages. 62.4% by the combined group. 59.1% by the female youth; 69.3 by
the male youth; 77.8% by the elderly females and 67.6% by the elderly males. Quarrels
at home at least some of domestic violence in all or at least some of its forms, and the
people who bear the most pain are the women and the children.
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6.0
Summary Recommendations
This Research Also Showed The Following Concerning Bride Price:
-
Bride price is regarded as defining the status of a married woman giving her a sense of
belonging, albeit in suffering. It is also seen as a source of wealth to the girl’s family; it
is long established culture, which must be respected. It was agreed on by the elders
and so it should not be abolished; it enables boys to marry wives using cows from their
sisters; gives a man rights and powers over his wife, her love, sex, labour, respect and
loyalty. Allows a woman to have a home; use her husband’s land to raise crops; get
where to be buried when she died and gave her some rights over her children e.g. to be
cared for by her sons in her old age.
-
Other findings from this survey are as follows: a good percentage of people think that
there is a law in Uganda to force men to pay bride price. 49.6% of all the groups
combined; 35.5% of the female youth 64% of the male youth; 55% of the elderly females
and 59.6% of the elderly males. And yet the truth is that no law in Uganda is being
enforced on this matter. Usually the government is just contented to let the traditional
leaders handle all marriage matters relating to bride price. The probation service is
mainly concerned for the children’s welfare and shy away from anything touching on
bride price. It is the proposed domestic relation bill, which will tackle the matter of
bride price when it becomes law.
-
The abolition of bride price is not supported but its reforms are supported by 47% of all
groups.
-
Men’s fear that without bride price women cannot respect their husbands was
supported by men and the elderly females with 60.1%, youth (m) 55.7%, females
(elderly) 50.3%, and men (elderly) 59.6% but not by females (youth) 32.4%.
-
Both men and women agree by higher percentages that bride price brings quarrels.
-
Both men and women also agree that bride price punishes rather than helping the
young couple who are marrying.
-
Both women and men also agree that bride price takes away a woman’s freedom and
turns her into a man’s property.
-
Both women and men also agree that women should not pay bridegroom price for
husbands.
20
This response shows that bride price is not logical; otherwise women could as well pay
for the men also, as it happens in India.
Recommendations:
These findings reveal that the situation about human rights abuses in Padhola is
critical. The women suffer horrendous human rights abuses but till now, no one has
ever raised his/her voice to point it out.
It is therefore recommended that the
following measures be under taken urgently:
Wide-ranging sensitisation programme be put in place to cover all sectors of
society.
-
Lobbying for reforms and changes in obnoxious and obsolete cultural practices be
intensified at all levels of policy making organs of government and world bodies like
the OAU, UN etc.
-
Programmes to empower women be worked out and implemented covering such areas
as the education of the girl child, self confidence building courses for women, legal aids
education and business training for women etc.
-
Debates and discussions be encouraged especially among men to find other ways of
raising income, other than from bride price mainly as the case is now.
-
Women’s groups e.g. women’s guild, should be empowered to communicate more
effectively to women.
-
Advocacy work to enhance women’s rights and human rights in general should be
stepped up in Tororo through all available media.
-
Young persons programme against Domestic Violence should be incorporated in school
curriculum and in civil social clubs to educate the youth to accept changes.
-
Government should be held responsible to implement constitutional and other human
rights provisions from international declarations, e.g. UN, OAU etc.
21
APPENDIX I
CASE STUDIES OF VIOLENCE DUE TO BRIDE PRICE
1.
Location: Pochowa/Mulanda
Date: 1940
A sister of Ondowa refused an arranged marriage with a man who had paid her bride
price already and eloped with a boy of her own choice. The brothers fetched her, held
her legs tied up spread apart. Soldier ants were then poured into her genitals and the
chickens set on her to peck her while eating the ants, which were also biting her. She
bled profusely and was only saved by one of her brothers’ wives who risked her own
life in fury at what she considered very callous treatment of another human being.
Afterwards that girl ran away from home and disappeared.
This may appear to have been long ago. But more recent cases are nearly as bad if not
worse as can be seen in the cases that follow.
2.
Location: Nagongera
Date: 1997.
Okello Obata’s daughter married Daudi Onyango’s son. The marriage failed but Okello
had already eaten the bride price. He forced his daughter to stay on. She died within a
short time in suspicious circumstances. No investigations were made to determine the
cause of death.
3.
Location: Liwira
Date. 1998
Josephine married Owor who duly paid up the bride price. But Owor was a violent
man and Josephine wanted to leave him. Her people, however, could not hear if it.
There were no more cows to return to him. Owor later murdered his own mother over
land wrangle. Even after this evidence of Owor’s violence, Josephine’s family still insist
that she stays with him. He is now threatening to kill her also because she disagrees
with his behaviour.
22
The villagers just look on helplessly because he has paid his bride price and he is free to
treat her as he likes.
4.
Location: Paragang Arapara
Date: 1999
A daughter of Owor Pascal married a man whom she later suspected to a thief. He
always returned late at night with strangled chickens feathers already removed. He
beat her when she questioned him over this. His father could not assist when she
appealed to him, so she returned to her father. But her brother had already used the
cows from her bride price to marry his own wife. He tried to force her to go back.
When she refused, he just beat her to death. Their father protected him from being
prosecuted for murder because that was the only son he had.
5.
Location: Nyandere – Namwaya
Date: April 2000
A woman whose husband became a habitual drinker wanted to divorce. But her family
would not hear of it. All the cows had been eaten. One day the man tried to cut her
with a cutlass but she was carrying a child and the cutlass got the child instead, killing
it instantly. The man is already out of prison and still promises to kill the woman
herself one day. Yet she cannot leave because she is stuck there due to bride price,
which was paid on her.
6.
Location: Wikus
Date: September 2000.
Daughter of Alex Oringo got married but could not sustain her marriage. She returned
to her father’s home but he forced her to go back because there were no more cows to
pay back the bride price. The girl went back but committed suicide a few days later.
7.
Location: Namwaya
Date: November 2000.
A newly married girl died before the bride price was paid for her. Her father went
armed to kill unless he was given 3 cows before her burial. There was a big quarrel
23
instead of mourning. Only police managed to restore peace, and the girl was only
buried after her father was given two cows for bride price.
8.
Location: Nawire
Date: November 2000.
A married woman, whose bride price was not yet completed, died.
The father
demanded for two more cows but the in laws refused. When he insisted, all the people
abandoned him there with the dead body and he had too hire people to help him bury
the body that was now decomposing.
9.
Location: Peta Ayago
Date: December 2000.
Owinjo works in Kampala and in his absence Okoth befriended his wife. The two
lovebirds were nabbed one night and Owinjo divorced his wife. Now her father says
that he has no cows to pay back and Okoth is forced to marry the woman and pay back
Owinyo’s bride price although he did not intend to marry her.
10.
Location: Nyekesi
Date: February 2000.
Ben Ofwono married Rose Auma and paid the bride price. But he became a habitual
drinker and Auma wanted to leave him. However, her parents had already eaten the
cows, so she had to stay. He beat her often and finally killed her leaving six small
children. He is now in prison and both his parents are old but they have to care for his
children.
24
APPENDIX II
General Results: Table 1: N = 1000
Yes%
No%
1.
70.3
1.
20.8
2.
64.8
2.
21.8
3.
49.6
3.
38.8
4.
13.8
4.
75.2
5.
25.7
5.
63.7
6.
50.6
6.
37.7
7.
31.6
7.
56.7
8.
62.4
8.
26.8
9.
51.3
9.
26.6
10.
52.6
10.
32.2
1.
Female Youth: Table 2: N = 288
Yes%
No%
1.
79.1
1.
17.1
2.
88.8
2.
24
3.
35.5
3.
46.2
4.
5.7
4.
91.1
5.
16.4
5.
68
6.
32.4
6.
51.1
7.
25.7
7.
68
8.
59.1
8.
30.6
9.
57.1
9.
31.5
10.
63.3
10.
30.2
2.
25
Male Youth Percentage: Table 3: N = 329
Yes%
No%
1.
76.5
1.
23.2
2.
70.6
2.
23.8
3.
64
3.
38.6
4.
18
4.
81.4
5.
23.8
5.
66.9
6.
60.1
6.
37.3
7.
42.8
7.
37.9
8.
69.3
8.
27.8
9.
66.3
9.
32.7
10.
66.7
10.
33.6
3.
Female Adults Percentage: Table 4: N = 172
Yes%
No%
11.
77.2
1.
22.1
12.
68.4
2.
28.8
13.
55.7
3.
41.6
14.
7.4
4.
91.3
15.
23.5
5.
73.2
16.
50.3
6.
55.7
17.
26.8
7.
62.7
18.
77.8
8.
21.5
19.
81.2
9.
18.1
20.
61.7
10.
32.9
4.
26
Male Adults Percentage: Table 5: N = 188
Yes%
No%
1.
75.5
1.
0.5
2.
73.9
2.
24
3.
59.6
3.
40.4
4.
17.6
4.
78.2
5.
25
5.
72.3
6.
59.6
6.
36.7
7.
35.1
7.
59
8.
67.6
8.
30.3
9.
66.5
9.
31.4
10.
67
10.
38.2
5.
27
APPENDIX III
ATTITUDE STATEMENTS
(Kindly tick as you feel it is appropriate )
1.
It is necessary for men to pay the Bride price for their wives.
Yes/No.
2.
Bride price shows that a woman is properly married and gives the man rights over his
wife.
Yes/No.
3.
I know there is a law in Uganda to force all men to pay Bride price
Yes/No.
4.
Women should also begin to pay bride groom price for their husbands
Yes/No.
5.
All bride price should be abolished. It is old fashioned.
Yes/No.
6.
Without bride price women cannot respect their husbands
Yes/No.
7.
A man who has paid bride price has the right to beat his wife if she misbehaves
Yes/No.
8.
Bride price brings quarrels among the relatives, as they all want some of it.
Yes/No.
9.
Men gain more from bride price than women.
Yes/No
10.
Bride price punishes the man and woman who are marrying instead of helping them.
Yes/No.
28
OPEN ENDED QUESTIONS ON BRIDE PRICE
1.
What good things does pride price do?
2.
Have you ever been affected by bride price? Explain briefly.
3.
Should bride price be abolished? Explain briefly
4.
Does bride price bring riches or poverty? Explain briefly
5.
How much of the bride price should be returned if a marriage breaks up?
6.
If you are a man, how much are you ready to pay for bride price?
7.
If you are a woman, how much do you wish to have paid for your bride price?
8.
Do you know any women who have suffered from their marriages because of bride
price? Explain the kind of suffering.
9.
Who gains most from bride price? Explain briefly.
Does bride price make a man own his wife? Explain briefly.
29