Uganda bride price refund outlawed by top judges

Uganda’s Supreme Court has ruled that the practice of refunding a bride price on the dissolution of a customary marriage is unconstitutional and should be banned. The judges said it suggested that women were in a market place, and infringed on their right to divorce. But they rejected the argument that the bride price itself […]

Uganda’s Supreme Court has ruled that the practice of refunding a bride price on the dissolution of a customary marriage is unconstitutional and should be banned.
The judges said it suggested that women were in a market place, and infringed on their right to divorce. But they rejected the argument that the bride price itself was unconstitutional. Campaigners said that it turns a woman into the husband’s property.
Should a marriage end in Uganda, the wife had been expected to refund the bride price – often paid in livestock. But it was argued that as women tend to have less wealth than their husbands, many became trapped in unhappy relationships.