Yohanes Mekonnen
Although it is well known that bride price payment is a harmful cultural practice prevalent in dassanach ethnic group, yet, there is little understanding of its effects on other harmful cultural practices. To improve this, the study explores the hidden powers of bride price (KOYTA) payment to cause other harmful cultural practices. It also investigates reasons of practicing bride price payment. The study employed qualitative approach. The data were gathered from purposively selected interviewees specifically, using convenience sampling technique. The data obtained via interview has been cross checked and validated using focus group discussion and key informant. Thematic qualitative analysis technique has been employed to analyze the data. The study found that bride price payment, directly or indirectly, caused other harmful cultural practices such as inter-ethnic conflict, polygamy, early and forced marriage, abduction, school dropout, female genital mutilation and others. It also investigated that the participant articulated the causes of practicing bride price as it is a source of income, a sign of prestige and a preservative of family. It was revealed that bride price is a deep-rooted cultural practice with almost all participants supporting its continuity. However, recent commercialization has changed the practice and its cultural relevance is less clear in present time. Although bride price provides protection, respect, and acknowledgement of women within marriages, the paper argues that the practice caused other harmful cultural practices mentioned above. This study highlights the need to intervene on possible mitigation of the negative impacts of bride price so as to mitigate other harmful cultural practices at large. Therefore, intervening on bride price is a ‘’one size fits all’ ’ intervention on other cultural practices since other HCPs directly or indirectly caused by it.
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