Bride Price Payment and Domestic Violence-Perspectives of Husbands in the Cape Coast Metropolis, Ghana

Abstract

This study investigated the relationship between bride price payment and domestic violence from the perspective of husbands. The study focused on auto mechanics operating in the Siwdu light industrial area in the Cape Coast Metropolis in Ghana.  The study was grounded in the patriarchy theory and adopted a descriptive research design. Using the Yamane formula for sample size determination, 69 respondents were sampled as study participants from a target population of 173. Data collection procedures involved the use of a questionnaire, after which data gathered was analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) software. Some of the major findings are as follows: the majority of respondents believed that the payment of the bride price first gives men a certain degree of power, which places them in a domineering and controlling capacity over their spouses; most respondents believed that the power allotted to men as a result of the payment of bride price and patriarchy is often applied negatively by men and this leads to domestic violence. The study concluded by emphasising the critical necessity for interventions focused on dismantling ingrained gender norms and fostering fair relationships within the household. These could be done through educational campaigns and the provision of counselling and other support services for both the abused and the abuser.