Nyumba ntobhu

Nyumba ntobhu (meaning "house without a man") is a traditional form of non-sexual same-sex union among Kuria women of the Mara Region of Tanzania; the partnerships are formed between older, usually widowed women without male descendants and younger, childless women, known as mokamööna (daughters-in-law).[1][2] As part of the relationship, the younger mokamööna bears a child from an external male partner. The elder woman serves as a grandmother to the resulting child, thus securing her with an heir and ensuring the continuation of her lineage.[3][4] Nyumba ntobhu marriages, like traditional Kuira marriages, are secured through the payment of a bride price in the form of cattle; in the case of nyumba ntobhu relationships, the bride price is provided by the older woman to the family of the younger partner.[1]

Traditional Kuria village

Among the Kuira, nyumba ntobhu couples make up an estimated 10 to 15 percent of households.[5]

Nyumba ntobhu relationships have become increasingly common within recent years. Many younger Kuira women enter the relationships as a means of gaining increased agency in choosing their sexual partners and avoiding domestic abuse and female genital mutilation.[5][6]