The Gyel district of Jos South local government area of Plateau State has taken the lead in reducing the number of items required for the traditional marriage rite to enable young men to afford the cost and get married legally.
The gesture also aims to give Plateau women pride of place in their separate households and prevent disagreements over dowry nonpayment from devolving into domestic violence.
This comes as a plea to cease indiscriminate mining, which is reported to contribute to the incidence of alcoholism as well as sexual and gender-based violence in communities in Plateau state.
Speaking at a panel discussion organised by the Women’s Rights Advancement and Protection, WRAPA, in honour of 2024 International Women’s Day for stakeholders from the Berom tribe in Plateau state, the District Head of Gyel (a Berom enclave), Da Nga Dangyang, through his secretary, Rwas Jonathan, highlighted ways that women’s inclusion is ensured in their community, stating that there is a bye law to ensure enforcement.
He said, “The Gyel Traditional Council has developed a bylaw that gives women the opportunity to be in the traditional council, determines the types of punishments given to anyone who is involved in any form of violence, and spells out ways to mitigate insecurity.
“The Council has reduced the bride price to N30,000 because it was discovered that the high rate of bride prices was the cause of unlawful marriages, and the reduction has swelled up the number of legitimate marriages in the district. The bye-law also says women who don’t work should be given a percentage of their husband’s salary.”
Da Dauda Gyemang, a Berom elder, argued that indiscriminate mining activities are eroding the Berom nation’s rich culture, particularly in family life, by encouraging young people to engage in drinking and early marriages.
His words are, “One major activity going on on the Plateau now is illegal mining, and very young people drop out of school to engage in it. They get quick money without the capacity to utilise it. They go into drinking and begin to cohabit in the name of marriage. This is very risky; some parents are even encouraging their children not to go to school but to go for this mining at the age of 10 or 15; many of them go into drinking and marriage.
“So, as a man, he is always drunk and cannot even perform his duties as a man, and when the girls don’t get the satisfaction they desire from their men, they get along with the available person that can meet their needs. When a man cannot perform and he sees his wife is not faithful, he vents the annoyance in the form of beatings and other forms of violence.
“We have been advocating for organised mining with financial literacy so that the youths can be guided on how to make use of their money and even pay taxes to the government. When this is done, the rights of men and women will be protected, as this organisation is advocating.”
Prior to that, the panellists, Dr. Dachollom Jambol (Chairman of Berom Elders Forum), the Gwom Rim (Chief of Rim), HRH Gyang Dahoro, President of Berom Educational and Cultural Organisation, BECO, Da Gyang Dudu, President of Berom Youth Moulders Association, BYM, Barrister Solomon Mwantiri, and Chairman of Berom Districts Development Association, Da Silas Pwajok, moderated by Mr. Steve Aluko, denounced all forms of SGBV as strange to the Berom culture.
The speakers praised the Gyel District for the initiative and reiterated that the Berom culture does not encourage domestic violence because there are established rules to prevent it.
They also blamed the negative effects of civilization, which alienate parental and community inputs in the selection of marriage partners, and called for mentoring and discipline in societies in Plateau state.
Mrs. Jummai Madaki, WRAPA’s State Coordinator, stated that the event aimed to promote women’s inclusion as a fundamental right as well as a smart approach that supports inclusive communities as a catalyst for development, and that the goal was to encourage men and boys to become key allies and actors in the fight against SGBV through community-based dialogue in panel format.
Nanle Gujor, Secretary of the Plateau Initiative for Development and Advancement of the Natives (PIDAN), the umbrella body of all indigenous development associations in the state, stated that the rest of the tribes and native associations should follow the Gyel District’s lead and reduce exorbitant bride prices. Rev. Christopher Damsher requested that religion and culture work together to create a balance in combating SGBV.
Meanwhile, participants, including people with disabilities, youths, women, and others, condemned violence against women and girls, agreed to implement the Gyel District bylaw throughout Berom land, demanded that harmful traditional practices be abolished, and advocated for the preservation of traditional practices that promote community well-being in Plateau state.
