Guardian

HEAD, Department of Sociology, UNILAG, Professor Adebayo Ninalowo spoke to AJIBOLA AMZAT

Why do some men practise polygamy?

By some cultural nuances across the African continent, it is permissible for a man to have more than one wife. Some religious tenets such as Islam’s allows a man to have more than one wife provided that he is capable of loving and taking care of all of them equitably. I think the principle is that of fairness.

Secondly, according to a particular cultural tradition across Africa, polygamy is an acceptable practice. Remember, African societies used to be mainly rural. A man would get married to two or more wives in order to have a large family to assist him in the farm. The logic of division of labour provides rational basis for polygamy in that era.

Thirdly, family members may encourage some men to marry more than one wife for the purpose of procreation. According to African cultural tradition and the bible, marriage or conjugal relationship exists so that procreation can continue. Where after a while a marriage has been consummated and children are not forthcoming, members of the extended family may start getting worry, eventually, the man is encouraged to explore elsewhere by taking another wife.

Fourth, another reason outside the problem of infertility is when a man is not happy with the marriage or with the wife he is married. Rather than going on conjugal escapade outside of the matrimonial home, he might be compelled to look elsewhere for marriage and the exploration may get consummated. And in Yoruba culture, if a woman is carrying pregnancy for a man, such woman is not just a girlfriend, she is also wife and that is also part of being polygamous.

Thus, there are cultural reasons, biological reasons, religious reasons, or practical reasons of satisfaction.

Does polygamy not reinforce gender inequality?

Look at it in another way; if Mr. Right is not forthcoming, some ladies will go for Mr. Available. Sometime the man a lady would settle for could be a married man. It is the same for the man who married Miss Available when he could not get Miss Right. By the time the reality dawns him, he begins to have yearning for another woman. These are reasons leading to polygamy. Is not better for a woman to be married to a married man than not to be married at all? If you are talking about equity you have to consider fulfillment of needs also.  Why would one worry about equity if it will not mitigate human misery. You may not imagine the extent to which being a Miss Somebody means for a lady until you address Mrs. somebody as Miss somebody. Women don’t take kindly to it.  So marriage provides a lot of psychological succor for women.

But do you not think the system that allows men to take more women as wives and forbids women to do same sustains social inequality?

Well, I think you are right. It is a patriarchal system. And patriarchy sustains and reproduces gender inequality.