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CHAPTER I

1.1      Introduction.

Butambala district is one of the  new districts established in Uganda. Created by Act of parliament, the  district became operational on 01 July 2010, having been split  off  Mpigi   district,  together with   neighboring Gomba  district.  Prior   to becoming a  fully-fledged district,  Butamabala  was    one    of   the    eighteen (18)counties that  constitute  Buganda Kingdom, Butambala  district is bordered by Gomba district to the  west  and northwest, Mityana District to the  northeast, Mpigi district to the  east and south and Kalungu district to the southwest. The district headquarters at Gombe  town  council. This  location is approximately 68 kilometers (42 mi), by road, southwest of Kampala, Uganda’s capital and largest city. In 2001, the  population ofButambala was about 86,600.

1.2       Background

Across many countries around the  world,  polygamy is a familiar and apparently robust social institution. Polygamy  is legal  in  Uganda, where a man is allowed to   marry  multiple  wives   at  a  time.   Besides,  Uganda  is   one   of  the   few predominately Christian nations to  legally  recognize polygamous unions,  with others being  the  republic of the  Congo,  Zambia, and Central African Republic. The  legal  status of the  Democratic Republic of the   Congo  is  disputed. There have  been  numerous attempts to outlaw polygamy in the  country, the  first  of which was in 1987: though none of the  active proposals have  passed. Polygamy is being  challenged in the  constitutional court in a petition brought by MIFUMI in January 2010. The case  has yet to be heard.

On  March 29,  2005, over  1,000 Ugandan Muslims rallied against the  proposed domestic relations bill  that would require a husband to  seek permission from his   frrst   wife  before   marrying any   more   women. Uganda  is  one   of  the   few countries allowing polygamous unions that do not  have  such restrictions.

1.3      Statement of the Problem.

Polygamy iii Uganda is  not only  a type  of marriage but also  a value system. Across many countries around the  world,  polygamy is a familiar and apparently robust social institution. In  August 2003, Human  Rights watch published a report over the  increase in cases of new infection with  HIV in Uganda linked to

domestic violence and  spousal  rape. It called   for  an  overhaul 1n  Ugandan domestic law.

Butambala is a Muslim dominated district. Within the  district, polygamy is widely  practiced. Part of the  reason for this is that the  Quran supports the  practice. Chapter 4 verse  3 (surat Niisa:3)  of the  Holy Quran allows Muslim men  to marry more  than one  wife. Due  to mistreatment and lack of justice, many Muslim families have  continued to experience instability.

The   purpose of  the   proposed study  is  to  investigate and  explore the contribution of polygamy towards social stability in  Butambala district. Understanding the  contribution of polygamy to  social stability would  be important in addressing various issues of development in Butambala.

1.4       Objectives.

The   overall  objective  of  the   study is   to  analyze  the   contribution   of polygamy towards social stability in Butamba  district. Specifically, the study- aims to achieve the  following objectives:

(a) To   critically  review   the               existing  literature   on             polygamy  and          its contribution to social stability and community development.

(b) To examine the  causes of polygamy in Butambala.

(c) To investigate the  negative effects  of polygamy in Butambala.

(d) To identify measures and programmes that could be  implemented to enhance the  contribution of polygamy to social stability.

1.5        Scope:

The  proposed study will  focus on  Butambala district as a case study. Investigations will  be  carried out on  polygamy and  its contribution to social stability. Specifically, the  study will be carried out in  Kalamba sub­ count. Units to  be sampled under this research will be only  polygamous families due to limitations of time,  cost  and complexity.

1.6       Significance of the  study.

An  analysis of  the   contribution of  polygamy towards social stability in Butambala district will  have   the   following   functions: understand the cause of polygamy and how  polygamy is related to  domestic violence in Uganda. The  study will also  identify measures to improve social stability. The  results of  the  study are  important for  the  formulation of coherent social policies. Such as the  domestic relations law.

CHAPTER  2

LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1.   Introduction.

A literature review  is a body  of text  that aims to review  the  critical points of current knowledge including  substantiv·e  fmdings as well  as theoretical and  methodological contributions to  a particular topic   in  this  context about  polygamy in   Butambala district.

2.2.   Definition of polygamy.

The  term polygamy (literally many marriages in late Greek)  is used in  related ways  in social anthropology and sociobiology. In social anthropology, polygamy is·the practice of marriage to more  than one spouse simultaneously (as opposed to   monogamy where  each  person  has  only   one    spouse at  a  time).   Lke monogamy, the term is  often  used in  a defector sense, applying regardless of whether the  relationship is recognized by the  state. In sociobiology, polygamy is used in  a  broad sense to  mean any form   of  multiple  mating.  Polygamy is condemned or restricted by the  majority of the  world’s religions. Anthropologists have  observed that, while  many societies have  permitted polygamy, the  majority of human partnerships are  in fact  monogamous.

Historically, human  beings have  been immature, failing to  fulfill  their unique potential     as  individuals,                                 and      consequently failing  to          achieve    successful partnerships and families based on  true love. The  solution to  happiness and fulfillment on the individual, family,  societal, and  world levels is not  to be found in  polygamy, but rather in individuals who  grow  to  maturity and the  commit to an   exclusive partnership  with   another  mature  individual, each fulfilling the other’s needs and hopes in a relationship of true love.

2.3   Polygamy in the historical and  cultural context.

Although sub-Saharan Africa  has had  a long  history of contacts with  the  out side  world,  a form  of rather ancient culture that was  based on  an economy of high  land/man ratio became well established in sub-Saharan Mrica. Due  to the high  mortality caused _by unfavorable climate, deadly diseases, and wars, population density remained very low for many centuries, and the  decimation of whole  tribes has been of serious concern. Therefore, at the  core  of this culture are   the   values and customs that promote reproduction. Sterility is not  only undesirable but also evil. In contrast, moral judgments on  sexual conduct tend to be relatively mild  or largely absent (Caldwell and orubuloye 1992).

The main features of polygamy in this culture are women’s very early age at frrst marriage, which en ures their early  exposure to pregnancy, men’s very late  age at frrs.t marriage, which is determined by  their family’s ability to  pay  for  the marriage and to  support a household, and the  quick remarriage of separated, divorced, or widowed  women, which  helps extend their reproductive duration. The  payments of the  bride-price by the  groom’s family  to the  bride’s family  can be  a substantial amount and  may  be stretched through a long  period  until or even  beyond the  birth of the  first  child  (Ueda  1992). The  bride-price originally took  the   form  of  tangible goods  like  livestock but has never  included land. However it has increasingly been  replaced by cash. The remarriage of a widow is usually of the  nature of levirate (i.e, to another male  of the  deceased husband’s family, usually one of his younger brothers}.

Polygamy, in  a large   part of  sub-Saharan Africa,  has long  coexisted with   a primitive system  of  agriculture in  which   women do  most of  the  farm work (Boserup 1970}. Typically,  when  a man gets  a new wife, he clears a field for her, and later her  children, to  cultivate. Men  are  motivated to  have  two  or  more wives ·and many children, because their  wives and childrn serve  as a form  of cheap labor and as a means to expand their ownership of farmland cleared from communally owned  land  (Boserup 1985). Since, in  addition to farming, there are  many domestic chores to  do  (e.g, fetching water and frrewood,  cleaning, cooking,  and nursing), a woman may  even  encourage her  husband to take  in a co-wife to  share her  heavy workload, the  first  wife is  usually vested with  the authority  to   assign  and  distribute  domestic chores  to   her   co-wives,                                                                                                                                the existence of co-wives  also  helps enhance her  status.

Having little  property right and being treated essentially as a form of property to be  exchanged for  material goods  between families, women in  the   polygamy system of sub-Saharan  countries have  much lower  status than men  and are especially vulnerable when they  become  spouseless or childless (Boserup 1970). Without the  right to inherit the  property of her  husband, a wife in this system is motivated to  maintain high  fertility,  hoping that at least one  of the  surviving children is a son on  whose inherited field  she can  continue farming after  her husband’s death. Her gre{ltest fear is the  inability to bear  children, which is not only  a valid  reason for  her  husband to  divorce  her   but also a cause for  her community to make her  an outcast.

From  the  perspective of individuals, polygamy in sub-Saharan African  tends to be a rather unstable marriage system, because the  obsession with  the  lineage weakens the  conjugal bond. Many women  experience divorces and  remarriages through their life courses. Since  the  bride  price  is basically given in  exchange for the  labor and reproductive capacity of the  bride, a divorce  is accompanied

by the  return of the  bride price  to the  husband’s family. In a patrilineal system, the   repayment can be  pq.rtial,  it the  wife  has given  birth to  a son   who  will remain in the   husband’s family.  The  repayment is  the   responsibility of  the woman’s own family  or her  new husband’s family.

At any moment in time, a high  proportion of adult males in polygamous sub­ Saharan countries are single (Caldwell  and Orubuloye 1992).  Because of  the near balance in  sex  composition atbirth and  the  large gap  between husband’s and wife’s ages at marriage (about ten  years), the  polygamy system always has a large  surplus of spouseless young adult males. Traditionally the  sexual needs of these single adults are  satisfied mainly by  the  wives  of  the male  relatives within the  family  (eg, the  wives  of their brothers and uncles and their father’s younger wives). Discreet sexual relationship with  pre-marital girls  is in  general tolerated, as long  as it does  not result in pregnancy. Separated or  divorced women,  who   are   not   yet   remarried, as  well  as prostitutes, are   additional altematives. In  addition to  the  single males, many married males, especially those in  monogamous unions, also   look  for  female sexual  partners,  mainly because of  the  long  (traditionally about two  years)   postpartum female sexual al;>stinence  (Caldwell, Orubuoye, and Caldwell 1991). Thus, pre-marital, extra­ marital,  and  inter-marital  sexual  relationships, involving multiple and overlapping partners,  are   an integral part of  the   polygamy system  in  sub­ Saharan Africa.

The  culture of polygamy in sub-Saharan Africa remained relatively undisturbed until  the    major  expansion  of   the   European  colonial  powers  in   the   late nineteenth century. Together with   the   Christian missionaries, the   colonial administrators attempted to replace polygamy by monogamy through changing marriage regulations and giving  preferential treatments to  monogamous men (Ngondo  a Pitshandenge 1994). Through their schools, they transmitted the westem ideal of the nuclear family  based on  a strong conjugal bond. By commercializing the  economy, the  created income opportunities to young adults and hence weakened the  parental authority. The  urbanization process further physically removed many  young adults  from   the   social constraints  of  their family compounds. The  cumulative effects of such changes on  polygamy varied substantially among and within sub-Saharan countries.

The  prevalence of polygamy among married women has fallen to less than 20% in Zambia and areas further south, but remains at over  40%  in  most West African countries (Lesthaeghe, Kaufmann, and Meekers 1989). In some villages, the   recruitment  of  young  adult  males for   mines,  plantations,   and    urban industries has resulted in a prolonged shortage of males in the 20-35 age group and the  further lengthening of the  difference in marriage age  between the  two sexes (Boserup 1970). The relatively large rural-to-urban net  migration of males has resulted in  a large surplus of  unmarried males in urban areas where a

different economic reality forces the  polygamy system  to  mutate into various arrangements (Locoh. 1994).

The     independence  of   sub-Saharan  countries  since  the  early    1960s  was accompanied, to  some extent, by  the   reassertion of  the   values of  the   native culture. The  rapidly expanding local  Mfrican churches  in  west Adrica have largely removed from  Christianity the  Westem value judgement on  marriage (Caldwell,   Orubuloye, and  Caldwell 1991). Many   well-educated and  wealthy men  are not  ashamed of enjoying the  advantages of having several wives. It has also  become rather common for Christianized monogamous men to have  one  or more  “outside wives” or “girl friends,” provided that they are wealthy enough to afford   the luxury.  Actually, many sub-Saharan  African men in urban areas consider the possession of  outside wives  as a reflection of  high   status and achievement  (Kkaranja 1994).  So  the   spirit of  polygamy  still   remains  very strong.

It  is useful to  obtain further insight into  the  evolving  living  arrangements  of sexually related  individuals  m  sub-Saharan  African countries.  These arrangements, largely rooted in the  culture of polygamy, may  have  important implications on  the  care for children and elderly parents, the sense of belonging and    identity,  the    status of  women,  the   diffusion  of   sexually transmitted diseases, fertility levels,  and other socioeconomic problems. In  the   remaining part of  this paper, we  will  attempt to  gain  some insights into the  factors on m.arried  women’s propensities of  being  in polygamous unions,  based on  the micro data of the  DHS.

2.4.        Polygamy and religion.

Religion   has  different perception about  polygamy different religions vtew polygamy different as explained below:

2.4.1 Islam.

According to traditional Islamic law, a man may  take up to four wives,  and each of those wives  must have  her  own  property, assets, and dowry. The  Quran also stipulates that a husband must be  able  to  love  them equally. The  Quran in verse  which describes a man taking an orphaned girl as his wife. The caregivers

• of these orphan girls have an  unfair advantage (with  them then only  one.  This

verse   is  linked to   the   preceding verse which describes a  man taking an orphaned girl  as his  wife. The  caregivers of these orphan girls  have  an unfair advantage (especially during the time  during which the  Quran was revealed) over them if they wish  to marry them.

As their guardians, they may  be  tempted to marry them without paying them their full dowries or .in order to confiscate their inheritance. This verse tell such men  that if they fear  that they cannot deal justly with  the orphans whom they wish  t.o marry, then they should marry other women (not  orphaned women but free  women   with  guardians and  families who  can  look  over  and protect their rights). However,   the   verse could also   have   another meaning, such as if  a person is worried about not  treating orphan(s) under his  care fairly,  he  could have  a wife or wives to delegate the  tasks of taking care of them. It is important to   note   the   context  within  which   the   term   “orphan  girls”   is   being   used. Orphaned girls  (that is,  orphaned of  both  mother and father as well  as any immediate family  to look  after them)  at the  time  when the  Quran was  revealed women ha very low status in society and  virtually no recognizable rights, unless a caregiver chose to  take them in.  the   relationship of  the   caregiver to  the orphaned girl would  have  to satisfy the  criteria set  out in the  Quran verses 4:23 and  4:24  as to which women a man is permitted to marry under Islamic law in order for verse 4:3 to be valid. Some  Muslims, however, believe  that polygamy is restricted. They  quote the  following verse 4:129, (translation by Yusuf  Ali):

Ye are  never  able  to be fair and just as between women, ev.en  if it is your ardent desire: But  turn not  away  (from  a woman)  altogether, so  as to  leave  her  (as  it were)  hanging (in the  air). If ye come  to a friendly understanding, and practice self-restraint, Allah is Oft-forgiving, most Merciful.

This  combined with  the  requirement for  fairness stated in  4:3  and arguments based on its context, has led to the conclusion that polygamy is only sanctioned in  exceptional circumstances, such as when there is a shortage of male  adults after a war,  and that monogamy is generally preferable. Opponents of this view believe  that verse 4:129 does not  seek to  discourage  polygamy, but instead guides the  husband on  how  to  treat all  of  his  wives  fairly  in practice, even though he may  not  be able  to love them equally.

Islamic polygamists point out  that an imbalance of the  ratio of men to  women means that polygamy serves to help  women maintain a respectable presence. In their  defense,  they  cite   c,ases in   supposedly  monogamous  societies where women  may  become mistresses to men  with  a legal  wife, and be in a forbidden, shameful relationship. Also, the  practice within monogamy of simply taking one wife after  another leaves -the f!rst  woman abandond and in a more  shameful and un-protected state. As a co-wife, they have legal  rights and status.

Usually wives  have   little   to  no  contact with   each other and lead   separate, individual lives  in  their own  houses, and sometimes in  different cities, though they  all share the  same husband. Thus, polygamy is  traditionally restricted to men  who  can  manage things efficiently. In  West  Africa  the  education of men

Increases the  incidence of  polygamy,  but the  education of  women decreases their                  participation !n such relationships.

2.4.2 Christianity.

Saint ugustine saw  a conflict with  Old Testament polygamy, and wrote  about it in  the  good  of marriage (chapter 15,  paragraph 17),  where he  stated that though it ‘was lawful among the ancient fathers: whether it be lawful now also,  I · would   not   hastily  pronounce. For   there is  not   now   necessity of  begetting children, as  there then was,   when,   even  when wives  bear   children, it was allowed,   in  order to  a more   numerous  posterity,· to  marry other  wives  in addition,  which  now   is   certainly  not   lawful.    “He   declined  to   judge   the patriarchs, but did  not  deduce from  their  practice the  ongoing acceptability  of polygamy.  In another place, he wrote, “Now indeed in  our  time,  and in keeping with  Roman custom, it is no longer  allowed  to take another wife, so  as to have more than one wife living”

The Catholic Church clearly condemns polygamy  in their canon. The Catechism of  the   Catholic Church  in  paragraph 2387 under  the   head  “Other offenses against the  dignity of marriage” states that it “is not  in  accord with  the  moral law.”  Also  paragraph 1645 under the  head “The  goods  .and   requirements  of conjugal love” states “The unity of marriage, distinctly recognized by our  lord,  is made clear  in  the  equal personal dignity  which must be  accorded to man  and wife in  mutual  and unreserved affection. Polygamy  is contrary to  conjugal love which  is undivided and  exclusive.”

Periodically,  Christian   reform    movements that   have    aimed    at  rebuilding Christian  doctrine based  on   the   Bible   alone   (sola  scriptura)  have   at  least temporarily accepted polygamy as a Biblical   practice.  During the   protestant reformation, martin  Luther advised Philip  of  Hesse that  although he  found nothing un-biblical about  polygamy,   he  should keep   his  second  marriage a secret  to  avoid   public scandal  (Mozley  1878).  The   radical  Anabaptists   of Munster also  practiced polygamy, but  they had  little  influence after  the  defeat of the Munster Rebellion in 1535.

However, other protestant leaders including John Calvin  c.ondemned polygamy. Sanctioned  polygamy did  not  survive  long  within Protestantism, with  modern Protestants believing  that all  forms  of polygamy are  condemned by  the  Bible, citing verses such as I Timothy 3:2. Saint Paul  wrote “submit to the  authorities, not   only   because  of  possible punishment  but  also   because  of  conscience” (Romans 13:5),  for  ‘the  authorities that exist  have  been  established by God.” (Romans 13.:1) saint Peter  concurred when he said to “submit yourselves for the

Lord’s  sake to every  authority instituted among men:  whether to  the  king,  as the  supreme authority, or  to governors, who  are  sent by him  to  punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right.” (1 Peter  2:13,14).

Temporary ·exceptions   to   this  doctrine have   been   found,  however, under extreme circumstances, such as the  loss  of men  due to extended warfare. Such a situation was reported by Jensen (1980), following the Thirty Years War:

On  February 14,  1650 the  parliament at  Numberg decreed that because so many men   were   killed   during the  Thirty Years’ War,  the   churches for  the following  ten   years could   not   admit  any   man under the   age  of  60  into a monastery. Priests and ministers not  bound by any  monastery were  allowed  to marry: Lastly,  the  decree stated that every man was  allowed  to marry up to ten women. The men  were admonished to behave honorably, provide  for their wives property, and prevent animosity among them.

2.5  The domestic relations bill in Uganda.

In   August  2003,  Human  Rights Watch   published a  report over   the increase in cases of new infection with  HIV in Uganda linked to domestic violence and spousal rape. It called  for an overhaul in  Uganda domestic law,  which among other things would  enable women  to  prosecute their husbands for  rape. The  bill  which would  enable this   prosecution, the Domestic Relations Bill was  flrst  mooted nearly  17  years ago  but   has been  shelved several times.

Polygamy   is also   strictly  regulated  by  guidelines that  provide   for  the

• economic support of all  wives.  The  bill  also   provides for  equal sexual rights and established more  equitable grounds for divorce. Polygamy  has been   the   most  hotly   debated  issue,  initially dominated – and  nearly derailed-by religious groups protesting the  Bill’s attempt to limit  men  to two         wives.   Muslim groups  insist  that   the    new   proposal  was    an infringement of their religious traditions. The  resulting bill was  a compromise.  Whereas in  the  past, customary law  has allowed  men   to marry as many women  as they  like,  from  now  on  the  will be limited to four.

2.6  The problems with polygamy.

One   argument  against  polygamy is  that it is  more   likely   to  present harmful    effects,   especially   towards   women     and     children,  then monogamy.   There  are   several studies  that  appear  to   support  this position. For  example, then monogamy.  There are· several studies that appear to  support  this position. For  example, women   in  polygamous marriages are  at higher risk  of low self-esteem, as well  as depression,

then women   in  non-polygamous relationships (Al-Krenawi,  et  al  2002: Slonim – Nevo  and Al-Krenawi   2006). Other studies show that  these women  are  also  enjoying less  marital satisfaction and more  problematic mother-child  relationships   (Al-Krenawi   and   Slonim-Nevo 2008).  In addition, further studies demonstrate that women in  polygamous marriages  are    especially  vulnerable   to   depression  after    becoming pregnant, as their husbands become more likely to turn their attention to their other wives  (Fatoye, et  al  2004: Ho-Yen,  et  at 2007).  Women  in polygamous marriages are  typically subservient  to  their husbands who hold  their wives primarily.

I  cannot hope to  offer  an  extensive examination of  the   full  scientific literature on  polygamy and any  related harmful effects. Instead, I will only  highlight some   key  studies with  the  aim  of  presenting at least a prima facie case that there is reason to believe that there are  higher risks

of harmful effects  resulting from  polygamous marriages. Responsible for

• child-bearing(Gher 2008: 584). These woman may a_

lso lack  control over

their ability to seek  employment, as several studies have  found that only a small fraction of women   in  polygamous marriages work  outside the home (Al-Krenawi 200: Elbedour, et al2002: 257:  Peterson 1999).

Women  in polygamous marriages have  also  been  found to be at a greater risk.of sexual diseases, including AIDS. For example, one  study of 1,153

Nigerian   men  and women  found that not  only  were  men with  three or

more  wives more  likely  to engage in extramarital sex  and were  at greater risk  of contracting sexual diseases and infecting their wives  than men with  one  or  two wives. Thus, women  were  at greater risk  from  men  with three or  more   wives  both as their wives  and as  extramarital sexual partners than from  men  with one or two wives (Mitsunaga, et al 2005).

Studies have  also  found that children form  polygamous families may  be at  a  greater risk   of  several  harmful  effects.  For   example, there is

considerable research that children of polygamous families experience a

higher   incidence  of   marital   conflict,  family    violence,  and   family disruptions than do  children of monogamous families’ (Elbedour, et  al

2002).  Moreover, children from  polygamous marriages are  at a greater risk   of  both   behavioral and   developmental problems  (Elbedour, et  al,

2003).there is  also  some  evidence that  young that  young woman from

polygamous  families perform  less   well  in  school than those in monogamous families (Elbedour, et  al   2000).  In   addition,  the   Utah supreme Court has recently state  that  polygamy ‘often  coincides with

crimes target in  women  and children (including)incest, sexual assault, statutory rape, and failure to pay child  support’ (Strasser 2008: 88-9)

Polygamy  has also  been  linked to several negative effects  regarding men. For example, some  studies have  shown that men  are  more  likely to suffer from  alcoholism which is thought, in  turn, to  perhaps  arise from psychological problems with  men  from  polygamous families (Oley 2004).

• Additionally, men in polygamous marriages are  also  more  likely  to  fall

below men  in monogamous marriages in terms of educational attainment

(Al-Krenawi and Lightman 2000).

The  standard argument against polygamy is that it subordinates woman and fails  to  treat women  as equals with  men  (Okin  1999). For  example, John Rawls  argues that the  state generally should take  no  interest on

‘fully  voluntary’ family   arrangements for  fear   that  taking an   interest would  illegitimately endorse one  comprehensive doctrine over  others as long   as  these family   arrangements  did   ‘not   result  from   or   lead   to injustice’. Fro  Rawls,  an unjust family  arrangement would  be  one  that undermined ‘the  equality of women’ and failed  to  recognize that  ‘wives are  equally citizens with   their husbands’ with   ‘the same basic rights, liberties, and opportunities as their husbands’.

Polygamy should then be forbidden by the  state insofar as it fails to treat wives  as equals with  their husbands,  denying women the  same rights, liberties, and opportunities available to men.

Therefore,         polygamy represents   an  unjustified  asymmetry  of  power between men  and women: polygamy should be banned.

Chesire Calhoun and Martha Nussbaum are  highly sympathetic with  this view.  For  example, Nussbaum argues that  polygamy is a structurally unequal practice’ (1999:98). This inequality lies in the  fact  that polygamy as practiced today normally permits only  men  to  marry multiple wives and  it  does   not   n rmally  permit women   to   marry  more   than  one husband. In fact,  Nussbaum argues that ‘the  most convincing’ argument against  polygamy is  that  ‘men   are   permitted plural marriages, and

. women are  not’ (200_8: 197). This asymmetry of power  is unacceptable. In

addition, structural  inequality informs Nussbaum’s. concems with  other issues affecting women. She argues that an ‘symmetry of power  plays a crucial role in the law of sexual harassment’ (1999:407n4). Indeed, one of her  arguments against female genital cutting is that it is ‘unambiguously linked to  customs of  male  domination’ (1999:124).  Likewise,   polygamy also represents an asymmetry of power  between men  and women which appear similarly linked to make domination of women.

2.7 Arguments for and against polygamy.

Polygamy has continued  to  be  practiced in large numbers in  the    world into  the beginning of the  twenty-first century, primary in Africa and some Islamic countries. In  these countries, tradition and religion usually mix to form  a confusion of law  and application of law,  creating  problems of clear jurisdiction and/ or  officials  who  hesitate to  enforce laws  that may conflict with  another’s jurisdiction.

Typical abuses  encountered  in   polygamous relationships  involve   the woman not  even being aware of any other wives, as they have separate

. residences, with  the  result that the  woman must  effectively care for  her children and the house alone. There are  efforts to create and enforce

local  laws   that  would provide for  responsibility from such husbands. Other abuses occur because the  women may  have little access or ability to make any income, and they become trapped in the  marriage. Many  are from  traditional societies that would completeiy ostracize them if they left their marriage.

The  Libertarian Party in  the  United States supports complete decriminalization  of   polygamy as  part  of  a  general belief   that  the government should not  regulate marriage. The  argument that polygamy tends to  benefit most women and disadvantage mot  men has been used to support the  legalization of polygamy (Friedman 1990).

The  sexual partnering of a man and a woman is a complex relationship

• that impacts all aspects of their lives  and contin es over  an extended period of  time. The   physical level  of  sexual activity involves personal health, with   many diseases being sexually transmitted, as well  as the potential for  pregnancy, which leads to  the  responsibility of giving  birth to a child. On  the  psychological level,  entering into the  most intimate of relationships has intense emotional consequences. The  phrase, “broke my  I?-eart” reflects the   depth of  pain that follows   termination of  this relationship. Sociallywhen a large number of  men and women in a society do  not  have stable partnerships, the  society suffers as jealousy and other emotions disrupt the  harmony of interpersonal relationships. A wife is not  like a machine, or a vehicle, that can be “traded in” or put into storage when a newer, more exciting model becomes available. As  the Quran states, a  man should only   have   more than  one   wife  if he   is capable of loving  and caring for them. When children are  added into  the

. picture, it is a great man indeed who  can successfully love and care for multiple families.

The  purpose of marriage is, ultimately, the  next generation, children, and

• the continua1?-on of one’s lineage. The  conjugal relationship of husband and wife is  the  emotional and  physical foundation for  building a family, in  which children, produced through the  love  of man and woman, are nurtured and protected until they  reach maturity, and embark on  their own lives, which also  involve the  continuation.of the lineage.

Childrearing is  a major responsibility for  human  beings. Unlike   most species in   nature, the   time   period required  to  raise a  human child extends far  beyond the  period of physical recovery from  childbirth, and usually several siblings are  horn while  the  frrst  child is still  at home. The parenting                         process      requires      more      than      temporary       bonding      between adults, and is best carried out by a stable husband and wife couple, the biological parents  of  the   children. Children naturally inhabit  not   only physical characteristics  and  physical and  material  wealth, they   also receive   their  social  heritage  from   their  parents.  Beyond the   benefit received through these types of inheritance, children raised in  a stable family   by  their  married parents,  have   been found, on  average, to  be “physically and  mentally healthier, better educated, and later  in  life, enjoy  more  career success than children in  other family settings” (Waite and Gallagher 2000, 124).  On the  other hd; children of divorce, single­ parent families, and step-families are  considerably more  likely  to  have emotional and  behavioral problems – they   sometimes fail  to  graduate high   school, abuse  drugs  and  alcohol, engage in   sexual  activity as teenagers, suffer unwanted  pregnancies,  are   involv:ed  in  violence and crime,  avoid   marriage  and   child-bearing,  get   divorced, and  commit suicide, at higher rates than those raised by two married parents.

Generally, the  world’s religions condemn polygamy, or  at least have restricted   its   practice,  reflecting  their   concern  with    the    spiritual

• implications of sexual partnership and the consequ.ent birth of children. Anthropological surveys have  reported that the most common form  of marriage relationship  in   human  society is   monogamy, although  the practice is  often not   strict  monogamy, as individuals form   temporary extra-marital relationships, or  practice seria).  monogamy moving   from one  exclusive partnership  to  another. Such activities,  however, tend to dest bilize society causing pain  to the  individuals, and traumatic injury to  any children involved. Sharing one’s husband (polygyry)  or  wife (polyandry) with  others is generally the  cause of great emotional pain.

CHAPTER3

RESEARCH METHODOLY

3.1        The research design.

Research design refers to the  strategy to integrate the  different components of the  research project in a cohesive and coherent way. It is a means to structure a research project in order to address a defined set of questions  (Trochim and  Land,  1982). According to Green and Tull “A research design is the  specification of methods and procedures for acquiring the  information needed.

Under the  proposed study both  quantitative and qualitative data sources will be used. Besides, a case study approach focusing on Butambala district will be adopted in carrying out the  proposed study.

3.2         Study Area.

The research will be carried out in Butambala district. Butambala has been  chosen because it is one of the  most  polygamous districts in Uganda.

3.3 Sampling design.

3.3.1 Target  population.

The study will target both  polygamous and  non-polygamous families especially house-heads in Butambala district. Interviews will also  be carried out with  the  key informants especially Sheikhs and opinion leaders.

3.3.2 S mple and size.

A sample of 500 respondents will be selected for the  study. Most of the respondent will be household heads. A few will be key informants especially religious leaders and opinion leaders.

3.3.1 Primary  data

. Primary_ dada refers to data collected for the first  time.  This will be collected  through the use of questionnaires, observation and  interviewing the  population of study in Butambala district.

3.3.2 Secondary data

Secondary data is  data that  has  already been  collected and  collated by  somebody for some  reason other than the  current study. A lot of secondary data will be used in  this research especially in literature review and reference chapters.                                ·

3.4  Data collection methods and instruments

Various data collection tools will be used.  Observation, interview and questionnaires will be used in undertaking the study.

3.4.1 Questionnaires.

A questionnaire is a research instrument consisting of a series of questions and other

• prompts for the purpose of gathering information from respondents. These questionnaires will be distributed to Butambala polygamous and non-polygamous couples to fill in the possible answers. This  method will  help  the researcher to  gather the  information and data. The  respondents will be  requested to  also  give explanations to  some of the questionnaires.

3.4.2 Interviews.

An  interview is  a conversation between two  people  (the  interviewer              and the interviewee) where  questions are  asked by the  interviewer to obtain information from  the interviewee. An interview schedule will be used in undertaking the interviews.

3.4.3 Literature review.

This is a list of items of information tc;>  be obtained from  documents, records and      other materials. In order  to secure measurable data, the  items included in the      schedule are  limited  to those that can  be uniformly secured from a large  number of       case    histories or other records. This will be used especially in the literature review      chapter.

3.4.4 Observation.

Observation  is   a way   of  gathering data  by  watching  behavior,   events  or          noting  physical characteristics in their natural setting. This method will  be  used    by  moving  around the  study area.

3.5 Data analysis and  interpretation.

Data   collection is the  systematic  recording of  information,  data analysis involves  working to uncover patterns and trends in  data sets, data interpretation involves explaining those patterns and  trends. The  researcher will use tables to enter the  data collected from  various sources and this will be represented in a pie chart format to get the figures in percentage, this will simplify the interpretation of the data collected.

REFERENCE:

Badawi.J.uPolygamy in Islamic Law” Polygamy. Com…1998 <www.polygamy.com>

Barkow, J.H. 1972, Hausa Women  and  Islam, Canadian Journal of African  studies, 6(2),  special issue: The roles of African  women: Past, present and  future, 317-328.

Caldwell, J.C  pat  C, and  Orubuloye, 1.0  1992, the  family  and  sexual networking in sub-Saharan  Africa: Historical regional differences and present- day implications. Population studies 46(3): 385- 410).

Caldwell,  J.C. Orubuloye, 1.0   and   pat   C  1991. uThe  destabilization of  the  traditional Yoruba sexual system.” Population and development review,  17, not  2:229-62.

Chapman, S.A. 2001. Polygamy, Bigamy  and Human Rights Law. Xlibris  Corp.  ISBN 1401012442.

Esther M. “Changingthe terms of the  debate: Polygamy and  the  rights of women  in  Kenya  and Uganda, uEast African Journal of peace and Human Rights Vol. 3(2): 200-239 (1996).

Henry  Mukasa, polygamy ban  for  those wed  in  church,  New Vision, July 22,  2003. Hillman, 1. (1975). Polygamy reconsidered: African  plural marriage and  the Christian churches. New York: Orbis  books. ISBN

0-88344-391-0.

Izugbara C.O and  Alex  C.E  2010,  women and high  fertility in Islamic Northern Nigeria, studies in  family planning 41(3) 193-204.

Khadduri,  M.  (1978). (Expression  error: Missing operand for)  uMarriage  in  Islamic Law: The  modernist viewpoints”). The American Journal of comparative Law 26(2): 213-218.

Main   street  church  (2007:   video   documentary)   lifting   the   veil  of   polygamy.   Main  street   Church. httpIwww.mschbc.org/video /vid-lvp.htm.

Mugenda olive (1999)  research methods: quantitative approaches, Nairobi: Act press.pp 71-93-216-217.

Prohibited   under    new    domestic    relation   Bill,   (Nov.   13,    2003)  available  at http/www.

Polygamyinfo.com/intnalmedia% 20210chinaview.htm (last visited July 8,2004).

Slonim-Nevo, vered and  Alean  Al-Krenawi (006). “Success and failure among polygamous  families: The experience of wives, husbands, and children’family process 45:311-30.

The center for public education and informa,tion on polygamy, polyga in Uganda to be.

The  new encyclopedia of lslam (2002).Altamira press. ISBN 0-7591-0189 -2477.

Timaecus, Ian  and  Angela Reynar.1998, polygynists and  their wives in sub-Saharan Africa: An analysis of five demographic and health surreys•. Population studies 52  145-162.

Kwiarlmwski,   S.  1975 polygon, Age  of  marriage, and   female   status  paper presented at  meetings of America anthropological association, San Francisco, CA.

Project Time  Frame.

Budget (Uganda  Shillings)