Brief: bride price
Sheillah NanyongaBride wealth is a token gratitude from which the boy’s family pays to the girl’s family in exchange for marriage. Bride price can be given in material things like cows, goats, clothes, money and many others.
Bride price is a long-standing tradition practiced in many societies worldwide. While it varies in form, significances, and processes across cultures, bride price typically involves a groom and his family offering goods, money or services to the bride’s family as part of marriage negotiations. This is analysed by unu-wider. Bride price is still in use in 75% off countries globally.
Bride price is known by different names in various cultures around the world. Here are some alternative terms and their regional or cultural associations:
Lobola (or Lobolo) -It is commonly used in Southern African countries such as South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Zambia.
Mahari - A term used in Swahili-speaking East African countries like Tanzania and Kenya.
Roora - Shona term for bride price in Zimbabwe.
Mahr (or Mehr) - In Islamic cultures, it refers to a mandatory gift or dowry paid by the groom to the bride, though it is more for the bride’s benefit than her family.
Bogadi - Setswana term for bride price in Botswana.
Mopuka - A term used among some Zambian ethnic groups.
Naditu - A term used in certain traditional Ugandan communities.
Dahej (Dowry) - Used in India and Pakistan, though it often refers to a reversed practice where the bride’s family provides goods to the groom.
Pulsa Dinero - A practice in the Philippines, particularly among the Kalinga people.
Paninikas - A term used by the Igorot people in the Philippines.
Ngolokerwa - In some Ugandan communities.
Bride Wealth - A general term used in anthropological studies to describe similar practices worldwide.
Aboodung - A term used among the Luo people of Kenya.
Chikola - Found in some traditional communities in Malawi.
Dote - A term used in French-speaking countries or regions for bride price.
Ilobolo - Zulu term for bride price in South Africa.
Wang’oo - A term used by the Maasai people of Kenya and Tanzania.
The names often reflect local languages, customs, and cultural variations, but the underlying concept remains similar—symbolizing respect, commitment, and the union of families through marriage.
This practice of bride price has both supporters and its significances continues to evolve in modern times. And below are the significances.
Bride price acts as a certificate of marriage according to the customary law when its fully paid marriage is sealed.
It limits chances of divorce. This was because it led to re-payment of dowry of the girl’s family.
Bride wealth acts as a public expression of appreciation for the new wife and a pleasing her parents for having brought her up properly.
Dowry was a compensation for the loss of the girl’s labour to the family.
Dowry established strong relationship between the boy’s family and the girl’s family although it was shared among the members of the society.
Dowry earned respect to the husband, the girl and the family also gained prestige.
Dowry saves the community from immoral activities (behaviours) like unwanted pregnancies and prostitution since virgin girls are known to fetch more bride wealth.
Requirements of dowry payment gives the bridegroom the hence to work hard in order to pay for bride wealth.
It is a source of wealth to the family of the girls. A man with many girls was assured by accumulation of wealth from the dowry.
Bride wealth showed the man’s ability to look after the girl and to take care of the girl.
Provided security to the girl.
It encouraged girls to keep virgin.
Bride price offers opportunity to the husband to express his love to the bride who is to be his future wife.
Bride price acts as a certificate of marriage according to the customary law when its fully paid marriage is sealed.
It limits chances of divorce. This was because it led to re-payment of dowry of the girl’s family.
However bride price is faced by the following problems.
Dowry may lead to poverty to the boy’s family or accumulation to big debts in order to pay dowry.
At times dowry turns to be expensive to the boy and this may cause misunderstanding between the two families.
Too much emphasis on dowry may prevent sound marriage.
Bride wealth may tempt parents to give their young daughters to old men who at times may be polygamous for the sake of acquiring dowry therefore the difference in age may make the marriage uncomfortable and end into divorce.
The man may mistreat the wife considering her a mere property he paid with bride price.
Dowry may cause problems to the girl’s family once divorce happens. The family may be made to refund the dowry.
If the man fails to pay the dowry as he promised, the in-laws may undertake him as a poor man and sometimes develops enmity with him.
Dowry may cause quarrels between both families in the negotiations and this can cause everlasting enmity to both sides.
Bride wealth may discourage young men to marry as they may fail to rise required dowry in form of money and cattle.
It can also lead to immoral behaviours on that side of a man like stealing in order to raise the required dowry.