Niger sees first slavery conviction over fifth wife: A man has been sentenced to four years in jail in Niger in the first ever conviction for slavery in the country. The pressure group Anti-Slavery International told the BBC the 63-year-old man was convicted of having what is known as a fifth wife. Men in Niger are allowed to have four wives under a local interpretation of Islamic law. With a fifth wife, no marriage takes place and the woman is treated solely as property. Niger officially banned slavery in 2003 but anti-slavery organisations say thousands of people still live in subjugation. The conviction took place in the town of Birnin Konni in south-west Niger, close to the border with Nigeria. Anti-Slavery International says fifth wives are often girls of slave descent sold to wealthy men who view the purchase of young women as a sign of prestige. The women face a lifetime of physical and psychological abuse and forced labour, the group says. BBC Focus on Africa now showing on Urban Television...
Posted on: Wed, 28 May 2014 17:36:14 +0000
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