Chimamanda Adichie, an award-winning Nigerian author, says she finds the idea of bride price “disgusting” because it has been commercialised in most cultures.
Adichie made the remark during an interactive session in Lagos on Saturday.
During the event, the author spoke on a wide range of topics including feminism and leadership, tips for aspiring writers, the fight for social justice, and the relevance of bride price to modern marriages.
When asked about her views on bride price as it relates to feminism, the author said the practice has evolved from its natural form to something that should be gotten rid of.
“If you go back in history, the idea of marriage is different from what it is today. Yes, there was bride price where fundamentally you sort of give things to the bride’s family, but there was also an exchange of gifts… and it was a bit more fluid,” she said.
“Now there is commercialism to the whole idea that I really find disgusting.
“At the same time I’m a person who has a lot of respect for my culture. There’s a lot about African culture that I find very beautiful.
“So it then becomes a struggle to find what things in that culture I find worth keeping, and what things do I think we should get rid of.
“I think these are ways to start to change it. In my opinion I think we should just get rid of the whole idea of money. I think it just ruins things.
“I think that we really need to rethink the way that marriages are done. It’s dangerous on so many levels. People always use culture to justify everything, but I keep thinking so many things have changed in our culture. There are things we can still change. I’m not a fan of bride price. I feel very conflicted about bride price.”
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Bride Price is just symbolic and not the Price for buying a wife. Chimamanda, your culture is Igbo and in the same Igbo culture, if the same marriage that was contracted on bride price is to be dissolved, then, the same bride price must be returned without any reduction on it, to show a total divorce (For those who believe in divorce anyways). So, if bride price is a purchasing Price, why won’t the woman’s People deduct some money from it, at the point of divorce, at least to cover for her depreciation in the Man’s hand whilst being his wife. Why should they pay back the same bride price in full to the Man to complete the divorce?. That tells us that bride price is just symbolic.
However, it’s also exploitative and diminishing of the woman’s value, for her people to be negotiating her bride price with their in-laws the way a mere stockfish is priced in the market. Bride price can be anything and not necessarily money. If the woman’s Father says it’s just a keg of palm wine that he will be accepting on her daughter, it’s a bride price for goodness sake. Those who are pricing their daughters in thousands and millions, what is that money to be compared to your daughter’s life. She is still and remains your daughter. You’re just giving out in marriage. Chikina.
Hi Chimamanda my name is tecla Mabwe I’m from Zimbabwe iam 17 years old you inspire me in so many ways. At first I did not understand why I hated jokes made by the 7th grade boys in my class about women and bride rice ,or why I always felt like there’s something wrong with me it’s only now then I understand that I’m a feminist and proud to be one. My family is patrilineal and I always feel threatened by that whole system which makes me dread marriage because I know my father , brothers ,aunt’s will not let me go to the man I love without deciding what I’m worth . I just hate this whole idea of bride price . Your message we should all be feminsts really did help and please keep up the good work and effort of trying to make life better for women.