The Collins English Dictionary defines culture as „the total range of activities and
ideas of a group of people with shared traditions which are transmitted and
reinforced by members of a group‟ or „ the artistic and social pursuits, expression,
and tastes valued by a society or class, as in the arts, manners, dress etc... While
both definitions give inkling to the broad parameters, they have not adequately
addressed the peculiarities of culture as in its dynamism and multifaceted nature.
Multifaceted in that some cultural practices add value to our lives and social
status, while other cultural practices are negative and at odds with basic human
rights recognized universally. This study shall endeavor to fill in this gap by
looking at debilitating cultural practices such as female circumcision and land
ownership, and how they impair women‟s ability to fulfill their cultural rights.