In a country where married women have had no say on inheritance and property after the death of their spouses, the marriage reforms in Côte d’Ivoire that seek to champion equality of men and women while protecting the rights of female partners in marriage through legislation is welcome news.
It is a brave move that could inspire similar developments across conservative countries in Sub Saharan Africa, where women have struggled to remain equal to their partners in marriage.
Owning property and inheritance have always raised a storm, especially in customary African marriages where a man controls everything and in the event of his demise, the property is divided among his extended family. It is a practice that has subjected widows to untold suffering as they have to take care of themselves and their children.
Land remains one of the most prized possessions in the African setting. The customary law dictates how land is to be acquired and passed over to future generations. And despite women working on farms to feed their families and earn household income, traditionally they have had no say in how it should be managed. In fact a common African saying goes ‘Land belongs to the man, the produce in it to the woman.’
Now Côte d’Ivoire, where these practices have been predominant, has taken the bold move of enacting rights-respecting laws in a bill that will see both spouses get equal rights in deciding how to manage and dispose of marital property.
This legislative overhaul, which is already receiving impressive reception in the West African nation, requires the same political will to be actualised across the continent at a time when the role of women in households and national economies continues to be hinged on the protection of their fundamental rights. African leaders must stand up and be counted on this.
