Marital rights denial irks men in Rukwa
RUKWA: SOME men living in villages along the shores of Lake Tanganyika, in Sumbawanga District, Rukwa Region, have admitted facing domestic abuse from their wives.
These men claim they experience mistreatment, including physical assault and denial of marital rights, which led to suffering and conflicts in their marriages.
This situation was revealed during a visit by the Mama Samia Legal Aid Campaign (MSLAC) team to these villages, where they provided legal assistance to the community. Men who participated in the discussions shared in detail the challenges they face in their marriages.
According to the victims, their wives force them to hand over all the money they earn from fishing, fearing that they might spend it on alcohol or other women.
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The men stated that if they return home without money to give to their wives, they are punished by being denied intimacy and, in some cases, physically assaulted until they provide an amount ranging from 1,500/- to 2,000/- .
Independent lawyer, Kurwa Ngunga, who is part of the MSLAC team, explained that marital intimacy is a fundamental right of spouses and should be granted willingly without any conditions. He further stated that deliberately denying a spouse intimacy is a form of domestic abuse that can strain marriages and cause unnecessary conflicts.
Ngunga emphasized that intimacy is not only a basic right in marriage but also a symbol of love and unity between spouses. He warned that deliberately withholding it could lead one partner to seek extramarital affairs, potentially undermining trust in the marriage.
The MSLAC team has urged couples to engage in respectful and peaceful discussions regarding family matters instead of resorting to abuse as a solution. They also advised men facing such challenges to follow legal procedures to seek justice for their marital rights.
