In the Western world, it is common for a little girl to imagine herself walking down the aisle in a beautiful white dress and her father at her side ready to place her in the hands of her man. dreams. However, in sub-Saharan African societies like Ghana and Uganda, girls dream of the day when a man, accompanied by his family, will come to her father and offer a dowry to exercise traditional marriage rights. According to Gita Sen, bride price is problematic in that it is defined as a payment made by a prospective husband to the family of a woman he wishes to marry (Sen). From Sen's definition, it is evident that bride price not only highlights the dominance of patriarchy in African societies but also emphasizes the objectification of women as the payments are carried out in exchange for a wife/woman. In Diane Johnson's article, “Traditional Marriage in Africa: Dowry,” Johnson explains that the concept of dowry in sub-Saharan African societies is deliberately aimed at the control and objectification of women by men (Johnson) . Johnson, in his article, informs us that before the bride price is fixed, there is a complex process of negotiations between the two families. These are run by the uncles and sometimes aunts of both families until there is mutual agreement on the price the groom must pay to marry the bride (Johnson). Johnson continues to assert that this process of negotiation and pricing can easily be considered an act of selling and buying. In my opinion, this process of negotiation and price fixing is a form of objectification of a woman because it clearly equates a wife/wife to a product or good found in a store. Even though this act of offering a dowry to one's fiancée's family is anchored in the middle of paper......anda, 2004. 64-94.Johnson, Diane. Traditional marriage in Africa: the dowry. October 7, 2010. May 11, 2011. Matembe, Hon Miria RK “The relationship between domestic violence and bride price”. International Bride Price Conference. Kampala, Uganda, 2004. 18-.Merriem-Webster. 2011. May 12, 2011. Orhin, Isabella Gyau. "High bride price contributes to domestic violence." December 14, 2002. Ghana Web. May 12, 2011. Sen, Gita. "Subordination and sexual control: a comparative view of the control of women - A view across cultures." Nalini Visvanthan, Lynn Duggan, Laurie Nisonoff, Nan Wiegersma. The reader on women, gender and development. The University Press, 2005. 142-149.