Zliten Municipal Council, civil society institutions and Council of Elders signed on Wednesday a customary charter to define marriage portion and limit excessive cost of marriage, which led young people to refrain from marriage and increased prevalence of spinsterhood.
This step comes in a time when weddings are getting out of control in both cost and custom levels.
The charter aims to limit the bride’s dowry, and reduce high spending on food and drink and the bride's outfit.
“The bride’s dowry should not exceed LYD 3000 dinars and 25 grams of 18k gold,” the charter said.
Typical Libyan weddings are traditionally multi-day affairs with many ceremonies and customs.
The charter indicated that the wedding ceremony should be held in only one day without using fireworks and firing into the air.
The social charter also encouraged the collective marriage program, which allows many marriages to take place in one venue with one party, without prejudice to Islamic and Libyan customs.
It also addressed the housing issue and called on state authorities to take responsibility and approach housing problems in an integrated way.
