Lineage norms, bride price-related factors, and intimate partner violence among Ghanaian women

Abstract

There is growing research on bride price payment and intimate partner violence (IPV) among women in sub-Saharan Africa, but evidence is mixed, with some studies finding significant links between bride price and IPV, and others not finding links. A major limitation of these studies is the lack of attention to how lineage affiliations (matrilineal, patrilineal, bilateral) can influence bride price-related factors and IPV. This paper examines links between bride price-related factors and IPV across lineage groups among women in Ghana. The study used data from 1,111 currently married Ghanaian women from three main ecological areas. Binary logit models were used to examine the effects of bride price-related factors on IPV for matrilineal, patrilineal, and bilateral women. Results show Patrilineal women were more likely to experience physical, sexual, and emotional violence when bride price was paid in full than partially. Matrilineal and bilateral women only experienced emotional and physical abuse when bride price was paid in full. Patrilineal women who believed their male partners owned them because of bride price were less likely to experience all IPV types. Although other factors are important to understand the high prevalence of IPV in patrilineal women, bride price-related factors provide a useful explanatory pathway.