Côte d'Ivoire: Marriage customs among Akan Christians, arrangements for the marriages of daughters, dowries, marriage ceremonies, age of marriage and exposure of educated women to forced marriages
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 December 1998 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | CIV30653.E |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Côte d'Ivoire: Marriage customs among Akan Christians, arrangements for the marriages of daughters, dowries, marriage ceremonies, age of marriage and exposure of educated women to forced marriages, 1 December 1998, CIV30653.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6ac4628.html [accessed 20 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
No information on marriage customs, marriages arrangements, dowries, marriage ceremonies specific to the members of the Akan tribe could be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.
However, according to an AFP 12 March 1997 report, forced and under aged marriages have been illegal since 1964 in Côte d'Ivoire. The report also quotes Constance Yai, the head of the Ivory Coast Women's Association (AIDF), as saying that "much of the [Ivorian] population is unaware that certain practices and traditions are against the law" and that "non-governmental organizations cannot do everything alone and need a real commitment from the government and from modern and traditional media." Constance Yai made that statement following President Henri Konan Bédié's order to release from prison 14-year old Fanta Keita who had been detained for almost a year for having murdered a cousin more than twice her age whom she had been forced to marry and who kept abusing her (ibid.). The young women escaped her husband twice only to be brought back to her husband by her family who did not want the dowry to be forfeited (ibid.). No date for her trial was given following her release (ibid.).
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.
Reference
Agence France Presse (AFP). 12 March 1997. Fabienne Pompey. "Young Killer's Release One Step in ICoast Against Forced Marriage." (NEXIS)
Additional Sources Consulted
Electronic Sources : Internet, WNC.
One oral source could not be reached within the scheduled research deadlines.
