“It is for the first time that I am experiencing the different community members from all walks of life, age groups and gender seat together in numbers and discuss issues that affect Terekeka and the neighboring community in an organized and peaceful way, Beamed Ms. Joyce Jeremiah Logumba, the women leader of Terekeka town during the TTT program carried out in Terekeka town in June this year. The forum was on causes of conflicts during marriage due to high bride price and possible local solutions to mitigate the problem.
She said that often times, meetings about marriages and dowry negotiations end up in disagreement and conflicts in Terekeka County. “I like the way how this topic is brought up and discussed in such a forum of elders, youth, and the women without fear and discrimination. And the fact that women turned up in great numbers to discuss this matter of marriage gives hope for change when it comes to violence and marriage. According to Ms. Joyce, most times, women are sidelined in meetings like this, but she is happy women were given the opportunity to air out their side of experiences and stories.
Rendering the whole day discussions, the women leader determined that all violence during marriage rest on men because the women’s perspectives are always ignored. She urged men to involve women more during bride price negotiations and payment since they are the mothers of the brides in question. “Without involving women, and considering their views, nothing will ever go smoothly in the family. We women have gone through numerous mistreatments due impractical expectations our husbands and their families demand because of high price paid after us,” she explained. Ms. Logumba advised girls to introduce their boyfriends to their parents so that other issues such as hefty fines arising during dowry payment can be avoided. Like the rest of the participants of the forum she agrees that either 30 heads of cattle or less, and 15 goats should be the price for paying bride price in Terekeka County. With the paramount chiefs blessing at the forum, the gathering consented to the figure suggested by many participants. The women leader concluded by saying she will go home knowing the Taking Tea Together (TTT) program with support from UNDP will bring peace and solve the plight of women and girls in Terekeka county if the programs is followed up with more other activities that involve the local courts, all chiefs, and government officials in Terekeka County.