Bridewealth Marriage in the 21st Century: A Case Study from Rural Mozambique

Objective This study examines trends over several decades in bridewealth marriage and analyzes the association of bridewealth with women's experiences in marriage in a rural sub-Saharan setting. Background Bridewealth - payments from the groom's to the bride's family as part of the marriage process - has long been a central element of kinship and marriage systems in patrilineal sub-Saharan Africa. This payment, which symbolizes the transfer of sexual and reproductive rights from the wife's to the husband's family, is grounded in a collectivist-oriented family system that closely ties women's status and value to their reproductive capacity. Method The study draws on population-based longitudinal survey data collected in 2006, 2009, and 2011 from 1,552 women in rural Mozambique. We use multivariable regression to investigate whether year of marriage predicts being in a bridewealth marriage and whether bridewealth status predicts marital dissolution, women's decision-making autonomy, women's work outside of subsistence agriculture, or modern contraceptive use. Results The proportion of marriages involving bridewealth payment has declined over time. While no difference by bridewealth status exists in women's autonomy levels or modern contraceptive use, women in bridewealth marriages are less likely to divorce over a five-year period and less likely to work outside of subsistence agriculture, net of other factors. Conclusion These findings reflect the complexity of a modernizing marriage system. With the decline of bridewealth marriage, its meaning has evolved, becoming increasingly indicative of individual wealth and status rather than family control.