Underage marriages: families switch to covert bride price negotiations

Some cunning parents and relatives in Omoro district have now resorted to covert ways of negotiating bride prices for their underage daughters so as to bypass local authorities. 

Omoro district LC V chairperson Douglas Peter Okello Okao reveals that family members are now using mobile phones to facilitate secretive communications between families, eliminating public gatherings that would typically attract public and authorities’ attention.

“The parents of the girl and the boy communicate on the phone. You will not see any gatherings to negotiate bridewealth for underage girls. They no longer bring things to the market. They deliver the needed items directly to the girl’s parent’s home without the girl’s consent,” says Okello, adding that this secrecy makes it difficult to apprehend those involved in early marriages.

Okello notes that the practice has become more covert following the deployment of role-model men and women tasked with preventing child marriages. Previously, it was common to find parents of underage girls negotiating bride prices at Bario, a cattle market on the border of Omoro and Oyam districts, under the pretence of trading livestock.

Perry Jawoko Isiro, senior community development officer in Omoro district, says the vice is prevalent, particularly among the Lango tribe, which makes up nearly half the district’s population.

“Children living with older grandparents and relatives are the ones mostly married off at this market,” Jawoko said, emphasizing the need for leaders to intervene and stop early marriages.

Patrick Jimmy Okema, North Kyoga Police spokesperson however said that no formal reports of such cases have been received but assured that the police would investigate the matter. Section 129 of the Ugandan Penal Code criminalizes sexual acts with individuals under 18 years as defilement, punishable by life imprisonment. 

David Ameny, a project officer at BRAC, a non-governmental organization working to prevent early marriages in Omoro and Gulu districts, highlights ongoing efforts under the Empowerment and Livelihoods for Adolescents (ELA) project to combat the issue. 

“We are scaling up and strengthening follow-up of reported cases and ensuring unreported ones come to light,” Ameny says.

He also noted a significant challenge: some parents of molested children block justice by negotiating with suspects for traditional compensation instead of pursuing legal action.

“The challenge we get is that sometimes we follow up cases, arrest suspects, but the same parents of the girl go to the police and say they have negotiated with the suspect and decided on compensation according to tradition,” Ameny explains. 

Through the ELA project, BRAC has supported 900 youth, including 300 victims of gender-based violence and teenage pregnancies, by helping them return to school. The remaining 600 adolescents have been equipped with social empowerment skills to reduce their vulnerability to early marriage.

Child marriage, which is a human rights violation, not only deprives children of their education and future prospects but also contributes to a cycle of poverty and poor health outcomes. Community leaders and organizations are calling for strengthened efforts to combat this deeply rooted issue in Omoro district and beyond.