Uganda

Keeping Goats in the Family: When Livestock Is Used as Dowry and Returned With a Widow

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Uganda, Africa

Lokutu Longora carries a goat to sell at a market in Kotido district of Karamoja region. Bridal customs here often involve giving goats or sheep, which are considered forms of wealth, as part of a bride’s dowry. But if the husband passes away, that can put those assets in danger. Longora inherited his brother’s widow in 2017 through the practice of widow inheritance, which involves giving a widow to the deceased man’s relative to marry. In Uganda’s rural Karamoja region, the practice is sometimes viewed as a way to care for women who have lost their husbands. But it’s also a way to protect a family’s land and wealth.

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Keeping Goats in the Family: When Livestock Is Used as Dowry and Returned With a Widow