Supreme court to hear appeal challenging bride-price
Women’s rights group petitions the Supreme court over bride-price.
The Supreme court is set to start hearin a case challenging the constitutionality of bride-price. The case was brought to the Supreme court by Tororo based women’s rights organisation Mifumi. Mifumi, petitioned the Supreme Court after losing the bride-price appeal in the Constitutional Court.
The petitioners argue that the demand and expectation by the girls’ parents that the prospective husband and his family will pay pride price, is the reason for rising cases of domestic violence. Mifumi also argues that bride price demeans the dignity of the woman who is looked at a commodity to be bought at a negotiable price. This, they say is unconstitutional and a violation of the rights of the woman.
In 2010, the Constitutional Court dismissed MIFUMI’S plea that bride price was linked to the rising cases domestic violence and broken marriages. Court said the petitioners failed to sufficiently prove their grounds.