UGANDA: Bride Price Refund Banned By Top Judges

Uganda's Supreme Court has ruled that the practice of refunding a bride price, or dowry, 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 the dowry 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.