Matrimony commission and you may women’s autonomy into the Africa

Due to their part, feminist scholars was wanting the new role away from bridewealth inside ladies’ reproductive conclusion, sexuality, ownership and control of productive info (Shope, 2006; Horne mais aussi al

Even though the foundation regarding a legitimate wedding perhaps provides dignity and you can respect so you can people as well as their offspring, the school regarding bridewealth is sometimes understood and you will illustrated as the bane of women for the majority patrilineal communities (Horne mais aussi al., 2013). In particular, it’s considered merging that have virilocal residential agreements to advance disadvantage women. For the true purpose of this angle papers, a good virilocal domestic arrangement comes to a posture which the newest married partners take-up quarters with or around the partner’s family members. In the a male-centric neighborhood, for example agreements dictate inheritance assistance in ways you to definitely constrain and you will force female to the periphery from society. Actually, the marriage commission is by scholars of all over the world invention and feminist writers given that antithetical so you can gender equivalence and you may ladies’ empowerment once the it basically erases women’s sounds and flexibility (come across Wendo, 2004; Anderson, 2007). In view of the potential to disempower feminine, some scholars and you may gender activists possess required the brand new abolition from this new habit. Yet such as for instance a visit has experienced combined responses. Instance, ethnographic research has actually ideal that secret actors of wedding commission abhor the latest undoing discourse accurately because of its possibility to get worse ladies ambivalent placement on the ).

Alternatively, we propose a desire to build to your local cultural associations and you may opinions being extensive all over Africa, for instance the Ubuntu beliefs since the a web site to possess settling gender equality and you may women’s empowerment due to culturally imaginative implies. Read more