The Kuria tribe is not as big as the Masaai of East Africa, but they have a rich and fascinating culture.
They are found along the borders of Kenya and Tanzania, particularly in the Tarime, Musoma, Bunda, and Serengeti districts of the Mara region in Northern Tanzania, and the west and east districts of Nyanza Province in southwest Kenya.
They are mainly into farming. Kuria people in eastern African have various customs such as circumcision for both sexes, however, we will focus on an unusual one woman marrying women. The Kuria tribe is not as big as the Masaai of East Africa, but they have a rich and fascinating culture.
They are found along the borders of Kenya and Tanzania, particularly in the Tarime, Musoma, Bunda, and Serengeti districts of the Mara region in Northern Tanzania, and the west and east districts of Nyanza Province in southwest Kenya. Kuria people in eastern African have various customs such as circumcision for both sexes, however, we will focus on an unusual one woman marrying women.
The women of the Kuria tribe are allowed to marry each other, but for a specific reason. It has nothing to do with romance. So what’s the purpose? The unusual marriage custom makes it possible for a woman who cannot have her own children to still have a family. The married women are not required to wear rings as a symbol of marriage and do not share the same bed too.
In Tanzania, same-sex marriage is illegal and, in recent times, gays have had to face the law. The marriage between two women is a unique Kuria custom called nyumba ntobhu “house of women”. The tradition allows an older widow who does not have any male descendants to marry a younger woman who has or might have a son.
That way, the son will inherit the older woman’s land, and ensure that her lineage does not fade away. Domestic violence is reportedly the most common form of violence in Tanzania. In 2013, a survey by the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare found that 45 percent of women aged 15 to 49 had experienced sexual or other physical violence in the home.
Despite criticisms about this kind of marriage arrangement coupled with the fact that the children belong to the older woman in the marriage; stripping the biological mother of her rights, the women still prefer it to be with a man. For them, it is a haven and a way to escape from abusive relationships.
According to reports, women and girls in the country continue to find it difficult to access formal education, as traditional attitudes force many to drop out of school and university to pursue domestic responsibilities.
Human rights campaigners remain concerned about Tanzania’s attitudes towards women, and it is estimated 1,000 older women in the country are accused of witchcraft and killed every year under tradition.
