advantages of polygamy in zimbabwe

This year's World Development Report looks at facts and trends regarding the various dimensions of gender equality in the context of the development process. The first is a registered customary marriage prescribed under the Customary Marriages Act [Chapter 5:07], formerly known as Chapter 231, or in vernacular 'muchatowekwamudzviti.' Zimbabwe is one of UNAIDS' priority countries for the scale up of voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC), and VMMC being listed in the country's current prevention strategy Zimbabwe. As co-wives they can discuss the welfare of the family and make sure that their husband will not go “hunting” again. We must not allow this to happen to polygamy. Other women even take their nieces to also join them as co-wives believing that it is better to have a co-wife that one is related to than a stranger. A man may also pay lobola for more than one wife. If a man wishes to practice polygamy, or if a woman wants to live in a polygamous marriage, the decision should be left with the person. If you also think this would benefit society, state why please. "Dictators and political leaders take advantage of the lockdown situation . In Swaziland, King Mswati has 14 wives and over 20 children. Zimbabwe has two sets of marriage laws, the Marriage Act and Customary Marriages Act. More often than not, the customary law wife would be in the rural areas. Resources are kept within the family. There would be much lower numbers of single, frustrated and lonely men and women in society : Women sharing the husband and men having to not . Others use the Bible as justification for having more than one wife. Within Sadc mainstream human rights and gender spaces, there is no consensus on polygamy. In the case of countries like Senegal, Ivory Coast, Benin and Cameroon, the rate of polygamous marriages as compared to monogamous marriages remains constant.A good example of an English speaking country where polygamy is rather declining is Ghana. the advantages of being in one type of marriage as compared to . Zimbabwe as they are executed by the fast-growing number of apostolic churches in almost every community. First of all, almost all men already like having as many female partners as possible. Quote of the day: "Without losing our identity, we must move forward for the promotion of rights for women and men". 16 Jeater, Marriage, perversion and power. This is the humanitarian side of polygamy, and it is another reason why we should support it and encourage both men and women to welcome and promote it. Tanzania, in 2011, rejected a recommendation by the UN Human Rights Council to ban polygamy especially on the basis that almost 50 percent of its population belongs to a religion that allows polygamy. Share On. The book is organised into sections: presenting an overview of the war and the roles of Zanu and Zapu 1964-1979; on ideologies and strategies of the liberation movements and the colonial state; on the place of the Lutheran church in ... Polygamy: In Africa, as already mentioned above, polygamy is a social practice used to ensure the continued status and survival of widows and orphans within an established family structure. 2 Interpretation. Where is it going today? How is it affected by global processes, cultural and political as well as economic? How does it compare with family developments in other parts of the world? These are questions which this book addresses. Johanne Marange as the founder of this religious movement, had thirteen wives. This Act may be cited as the Marriage Act [Chapter 5:11]. forms of benefits derived from it by the actors. If it is a man who dies and who was married bigamously to a wife under the Customary Marriages Act or through payment of lobola and at the same time he was married to another woman under Chapter 5:11, both marriages will be recognised but will all be treated as customary law marriages. Polygamy is widely observed in Africa until now, particularly in Zimbabwe. To the best of the writer’s knowledge, although cases of bigamy have come before the courts, no one has been put in prison for bigamy. Zimbabwe has two sets of marriage laws, the Marriage Act and Customary Marriages Act. Neither sets a minimum age for marriage consent, while the customary law allows polygamy. Solomon had more than one wife. L`�g�I( Y�3u�_�=~������� �|�vs�,��6�N�;�(�����%V�P���X�?a\kg;�|~������T�v �)�d��*��>���3�(����T�2 ���̈&� �C~ }"r��[nQ�������f���z�y��?�qz�cB�*��$J���:��v*Y������$~D�qv�X^��$��. In Zimbabwe, the United States works directly with a variety of NGOs and community leaders. The 2004 NGP was the first policy framework to provide a gender perspective to the principle of "Growth with Equity" that had been adopted by Zimbabwe to address the gender and race inequities. 2 0 obj Effects on the environment due to iron technology-mining dumps,deforestation,pits,changes on the landscape,reduction of animals Sites of pottery during the early Iron Age-Zhizho,Bambata,Gokomere,Ziwa,Makura,Mabveni,Chinhoyi,Coronation Park Later iron age sites-Great Zimbabwe ,Khami,Naletale,Dhlodhlo,Danamombe Advantages of polygamy-labour in the fields,herding cattle,security for the family . In this Act—. Some older women even encourage their polygamous husband to take younger wives as they will no longer be too sexually active. The Benefits of Polygamy. Religion The missionary teachings of Christianity emphasized monogamy and The point being explained here is that polygamy as it is applied in our current law is discriminatory as it differentiates between men and women hence in this regard, Zimbabwe is not CEDAW compliant. Such men will still take on new women either as wives or as girlfriends. Colonial education and missionary education, then, have been more powerful sources of cultural change than the cases of modern schooling I consider. 10 Reasons why Polygamy is a Great Thing! Some women also even went to the extent of suing the customary law wife merely because they have the golden Chapter 5:11 marriage certificate. The decision to practice polygamy should be left with the individual; it is a personal decision that no person or institution should interfere with. promoting psychosocial support for women living with mental illness in zimbabwe: the role of social work . (Lusaka) - Child marriage in Africa often ends a girl's education, exposes her to domestic violence and grave health risks from early childbearing and HIV . Opponents argue that polygamy demeans women and that it also places them at risk of diseases such as HIV/Aids. They argue that some men will never be satisfied regardless of the number of the wives that they have. Each marriage will have its own certificate. It is this ethnocentric tendency that has caused many unique cultural practices to be destroyed completely. Advantages of civil marriage in Zimbabwe. Indeed, supporting polygamy is a sensible thing to do because men already like having many partners, it enhances personal freedom, helps to prevent or minimize adultery, is an integral part of some culture, was practiced by great men of Christianity and Islam and other religions, helps to decrease the number of single women in society, helps men with leadership ability, it indicates that men are humanitarian, and it is a normal human practice. The law in Zimbabwe has an interest in polygamy (note that the correct term of a man having more than one wife is polygyny but for purposes of this article I will use the word polygamy) under both . those who do know may not realise the benefits of having their union registered. 732. Since Johanne Marange is a I'm won't suggest there are no "advantages" to polygamy. It appears to be somewhat tongue-in-cheek, but I wanted to take a look at it. However, the consensus is that polygyny can flourish only in the context of gender inequality. Freedom in the World, the Freedom House flagship survey whose findings have been published annually since 1972, is the standard-setting comparative assessment of global political rights and civil liberties. Let’s give men the unhindered chance to do what they enjoy doing – keeping many women as his partners. endobj Within Sadc mainstream human rights and gender spaces, there is no consensus on polygamy. %���� In Africa, some men from the Tonga ethnic group say economic hardship and the growing HIV/AIDS pandemic have prompted them to re-think the benefits of polygamy. Some societies have introduced a gradual reduction in the number of wives permitted, while others In Zimbabwe, women affiliated to apostolic sects do not take medical services because they believe in 154 Volume 5 issue 2.indd 154 25/9/2012 3:47:30 μμ Determinants of Maternal Healthcare Utilization in Zimbabwe faith healing and they prefer traditional midwives. Abraham had more than one wife. Indeed, supporting polygamy is a sensible thing to do because men already like having many partners, it enhances personal freedom, helps to prevent or minimize adultery, is an integral part of some culture, was practiced by great men of Christianity and Islam and other religions, helps to decrease the number of single women in society, helps men with leadership ability, it indicates that men are humanitarian, and it is a normal human practice. In this study, documentation . The practice is widespread in their community and supported by their culture. Whereas the Constitution of Zimbabwe, which is the highest and supreme law in the land provides that people have a right to marry at 18 years of age, which can be interpreted to mean that 18 is the minimum age of marriage, the laws that govern marriage, the Marriage Act [Chapter 5:11] and the Customary Marriages Act [Chapter5:07] are not in . Slyvia Chirawu is a lawyer by training. Zimbabwe that "it is not in . According to media reports, the house will have two master bedrooms to accommodate the two wives. . Having only one wife creates a condition for the temptation to cheat to flourish. Demographic and Health Surveys in Ghana (1988), Senegal (1986), Kenya (1989), and Zimbabwe (1988-89) showed that the proportion of women in a 3 May God be gracious to you and grant you healing and wholeness. This is clearly an unfair balance. Eighth, polygamy teaches a man to learn how to be patient. In the meantime, whether one is married monogamously or polygamously, the same expectations . God forbid, not when I am still breathing. Do we need impatient people in our society, or patient people? Jailed Gumbura also had many wives and, according to reports, the wives took turns to enjoy conjugal rights. If polygamy is enthusiastically welcome and promoted and accepted, the number of married women in our society will be less. Finally, polygamy remains common in Zimbabwe, creating additional complications and risks for widows. If God had placed several Eves into the Garden of Eden or somewhere near it, forget it, Adam would have taken them all as wives. In terms of the Customary Marriages Act Chapter 5:07 (it used to be known as Chapter 238), a man may marry more than one wife legally. Found insideThe fourth edition in a series, Women, Business and the Law 2016: Getting to Equal examines laws and regulations affecting women's prospects as entrepreneurs and employees in 173 economies, across seven areas: accessing institutions, using ... Having noted that the incidence of polygamy is much less than many westerners would seem to think (it varies from tribe to tribe, but in practice some 20% to 30% of African marriages have been polygamous, with a norm of two wives per marriage), it is important to underline that the main factor behind polygamy is not sexual incontinence, but the . This edition features a new introduction surveying the multinational and cultural themes now present in recent historical writing about family violence. Is the solution as simple as outlawing polygamy especially when I realise that there are so many women in Zimbabwe who are in polygamous marriages and to outlaw them would also infringe their rights as well? Nigeria: Secrets and Benefits of Polygamy. In many different ways, members of our society continue to weigh in on many social issues, whether it is about prostitution, gay marriage, capital punishment, unfaithfulness in relationships or some other social issue. Many of us know that patience is a great virtue. <>>> This is literature-based research. Mwambene L "Marriage under African Customary Laws in the Face of the Bill of Rights and International Human Rights Standards in Malawi" 2010 AHRLJ 78-104 . The church has been promoting polygamy, and polygamous marriage, in line with traditional African as well as ancient Jewish cultural traditions. %PDF-1.5 in the Old Testament, polygamy is allowed. "magistrate" means any magistrate appointed in terms of the Magistrates Court Act. The point being explained here is that polygamy as it is applied in our current law is discriminatory as it differentiates between men and women hence in this regard, Zimbabwe is not CEDAW compliant. a discourse on the perceived relative advantages of biochemical induced diseases in society [Chapter 7:10]; "marriage" means a marriage under this Act; "marriage licence" means a licence to marry issued in terms of section sixteen . But those articulating advantages are assuming 4 somes with even balance or 3 somes where the men are often dominant. (ii) Bigamy can also occur when A is married to B and C either by way of Chapter 5:07 or payment of lobola and goes on to marry D in terms of a Chapter 5:11 marriage. Community Culturally, polygamy is viewed as a reproductive strategy by which men maximize the number of their offspring but minimize investment in each child. Polygamy has been cited as a possible contributor to Africa's low savings rates (Tertilt, 2005), widespread incidence of HIV (Brahmbhatt et al., 2002), topic on Lobola in Zimbabwe: A Pastoral Challenge and in particular my mothers who endured lobola struggle by my father. �&c�^�h�d@�Io�R�O�����B9�;��< �n����Ҿ�c�H[���oo��s�""�H��+ BQ�e��'�( ——. It is obvious that everyone wants to be free to associate, choose, decide and so on, and this applies to the practice of polygamy. In this current article, I wish to look at polygamy – specifically, polygyny or male polygamy – presenting ten reasons why everyone should welcome, support and promote it. family, and the tribe. If we forbid it because Bible teaching, we only create problems, including unfaithfulness, because men, generally speaking, will still go out to satisfy that desire to be with many women. This figure plots mean polygamy and mean years of education for each birth cohort in the sample. Found inside – Page 47Polygamy is most widely practised among the Tonga people , a small tribe accounting for about 2 % of Zimbabwe's ... heavy reliance on wage - earning members to sustain the family , the economic advantages of polygamy are less obvious . INTRODUCTION. The Administration of Estates Act was amended in 1997 to cover all persons who die on or after the 1st of November 1997 and their estates are subject to customary law. Polygamy, according to Anderson (2000), is more common in Africa than anywhere else in the world today. Do you know what would happen to those women if they had no one to help them? Serving as a companion to Growing Up Global, this book from the National Research Council explores how the transition to adulthood is changing in developing countries in light of globalization and what the implications of these changes ... In contrast to polygamy, monogamy is marriage consisting of only two parties. The advantages of polygamy: Care, warmth and affection provided by wives or mistresses. This classic text by Ester Boserup was the first investigation ever undertaken into what happens to women in the process of economic and social growth throughout the developing world, thereby serving as an international benchmark. Zimbabwe, polygamy was acceptable and was viewed as a workable and great socio-economic asset. This is a single-volume guide to all the main analytical frameworks for gender-sensitive research and planning. 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