Pauline Nyambura from Muranga shared her heartbreaking experience of being married to a man who paid a mere 100 Shillings for her dowry, claiming she had no worth because she couldn’t bear children.
Pauline first met her husband while working as a house girl, and their bond quickly grew. After a visit to his home, she never returned to her family and soon became his wife. The couple moved to his village, but after a year, the pressure from her in-laws began. They repeatedly asked when she would give them a grandchild, and she responded that it was in God’s time.
However, the situation took a turn for the worse. Pauline was burdened with all the chores in her in-laws’ house. In a heartbreaking moment, one of her husband’s uncles suggested her parents receive a dowry to “bless her womb.”
To her shock, her husband and father-in-law paid a dowry of just 100 Shillings, explaining that she had no value because she had not yet conceived. This dismissal of her worth devastated Pauline, leading her to end the marriage after months of emotional and physical abuse.
Having been rejected by multiple men due to her inability to have children, Pauline vowed never to marry again. Her painful journey highlights the harsh reality many women face when their value is unfairly tied to their ability to have children.
By Kenyans