Abstract:
The gift of bride wealth or gabbara is an important element of marriage among the Negele Arsi
Oromo. While the functions and meanings attached to the practice are constantly changing over
time. The aim of this study was to describe the changing trend in bride wealth or gabbara among
the Negele Arsi Oromo; specifically, to describe the former gabbara gift; its customary value,
the current gift and its implication on unmarried youths, newly married couples, their parents,
community, marital stability and the initiatives undertaken to address the issue. To attain the
objectives an ethnographic design and purposive sampling technique was employed.
Accordingly, I conducted 16 semi-structured in-depth interviews, 13 key informant interviews, 4
Focus Group Discussions (32 participants), and participant observation. The necessary data
was analyzed using thematic analysis through description under their main themes. The finding
of the study shows gabbara is playing a crucial role in providing solidarity, mutual respect
among the bride’s family and the son-in-law and marital stability. However, currently it seems to
have lost its original symbolic meaning; it has increasingly become causes of disagreement,
disrespect, poverty; marital dissolution. The study also shows the ever-increasing gift results an
increase in women migration, cohabitation, abortion and related problems; women’s domestic
violence due to impoverishment and marital instability among the spouses. In response, the
community in cooperation with concerned offices and stakeholders planned to address the
problem. Yet the problem is persisting. From these findings it was concluded that gabbara
currently affecting the life of youths, couples, their parents; the wider community.
