Onyeka Nwelue, a Nigerian filmmaker and author has spoken against the tradition of bride price payment.
The filmmaker took to his social media page to liken the tradition to ‘ foolery, slavery and some kind of wantonness’.
He noted that a woman is not a goat that could be purchased in the market and as such should not be paid for.
He wrote: “You go to a market, pick a goat, bargain and pay. Then go home with the goat. To be slaughtered. Or tethered to a tree to get pregnant and produce more goats.
Why can’t we live in a culture where marriages will be a little different from this? Where a woman can decide to either stay in her father’s house or build her own house while she is still married to someone? Or decide that she won’t change her surname to that of her husband? I think this is foolery, slavery and some kind of wantonness.
A woman is not a goat. Don’t pay to marry her. Don’t let her change her surname. Don’t you ever let her move into your father’s house. Go build yours with the money you both contributed. That’s where equality starts.”
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