Bride Price Should Be Abolished, Women Should Not Adopt Husbands’ Names – Lawyer

James Ibor, a lawyer and human rights activist, has called for an end to the practice of bride price payments in Nigeria, describing it as a symbol of slavery and male dominance. Speaking at a women’s empowerment event in Calabar, Cross River State, Ibor also advocated for married women to retain their family names instead of adopting their husbands’ names.

The event, themed “Amplifying Women’s Representation in Politics With a Special Focus on the Special Seats Bill,” was organized by the Cross River State Ministry of Women Affairs in collaboration with Stand To End Rape, a civil society organization.

“Women are not commodities that should be purchased by men. Bride price reflects signs of slavery, denial of women’s rights, and domination by men,” Ibor said. He shared that in his own marriage, he rejected the payment of bride price, opting instead for an exchange of gifts between families.

“I will strongly recommend against this odd and slavish practice. We should encourage an exchange of gifts in place of bride price,” he added.

Ibor also expressed support for women retaining their family names after marriage. “Women should be at liberty to bear their chosen names, whether their father’s or mother’s, instead of automatically changing to their husbands’ names,” he said.

Highlighting other cultural practices he found problematic, Ibor criticized traditions in parts of Cross River State that deny women the right to own land or property.