Bride price and the well-being of women

Sara Lowes and Nathan Nunn

No wp-2017-131, WIDER Working Paper Series from World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER)

Abstract: Bride price, which is payment from the groom and/or the groom's family to the bride's family at the time of marriage, is a common cultural practice in many African societies. It is often argued that the practice may have negative effects for girls and women because it may: incentivize early marriage and lead to higher fertility; promote the view that husbands have 'purchased' their wives, resulting is worse treatment of wives; and trap women in unhappy marriages due to the common requirement that some of the bride price be paid back upon divorce.

Keywords: Culture; Marriage customs; early marriage; Marriage payments (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (13)

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