The most comprehensive compilation of information on the status of
women in the world.

Latest items for PW-PRACTICE-3

Feb. 20, 2024, 6:27 p.m.
Countries: D R Congo
Variables: PW-PRACTICE-3

"[T]he practice of levirate marriage is still common" (17).
Jan. 4, 2024, 10:41 a.m.
Countries: Singapore
Variables: PW-PRACTICE-3

"[T]he AMLA provides for polygamy among Muslim couples... All applications for polygamous marriages are rigorously reviewed by ROMM. Only applicants deemed able to meet the stringent requirements are allowed to take a second wife. The first wife may voice her objection to ROMM. If the application is approved and the first wife is dissatisfied with ROMM’s decision, she may go to the Appeal Board" (41).
Sept. 30, 2023, 4 p.m.
Countries: Kazakhstan
Variables: PW-PRACTICE-3, PW-LAW-1

"While noting the importance attached to the family in the State party, the Committee notes with concern the following: (a) The vast majority of men support polygamy, which remains widespread despite its prohibition by law, and attempts to legalize it; (b) The high prevalence of child marriage, especially unregistered religious marriages" (p.16).
Aug. 9, 2023, 1:07 p.m.
Countries: Eritrea
Variables: PW-PRACTICE-3

"The Committee reiterates its concern about the prevalence of child marriage in the State party and also notes with concern...The practice of allowing polygamous marriages and the discriminatory application of religious laws on divorce and inheritance within Muslim communities, to the detriment of women" (14).
July 10, 2023, 9:26 p.m.
Countries: Maldives
Variables: PW-PRACTICE-3

"In this reporting period, there is clear evidence of the Magistrates Courts taking the issue of Child Allowance payments seriously, and a system has been established whereby any man owing child allowance must pay this off before being permitted to enter into another marriage contract. If the man moves to a different island to marry, the Magistrates Court of that island will contact authorities on his home island to see if there are any outstanding Child Allowance payments. Since January 2012, any person wishing to marry more than one person should earn at least Rf 15,000 (approximately USD $975). These conditions have restricted the exercise of polygamy." (35).more
June 27, 2023, 11:16 p.m.
Countries: Algeria
Variables: PW-PRACTICE-3

"The law affirms the religiously based practice of allowing a man to marry as many as four wives... It was unclear whether authorities followed the law in all cases since local authorities had significant discretion and the government did not maintain nationwide statistics" (29).
June 17, 2023, 11:14 a.m.
Countries: Uzbekistan
Variables: PW-PRACTICE-3

"In turn, bigamy becomes the reason for frequent scandals and domestic violence in an official marriage, and for informal wives – the lack of legal guarantees in inheritance and division of property for both women and common children" (para 28).
June 12, 2023, 10:09 a.m.
Countries: Turkmenistan
Variables: PW-PRACTICE-3, POLY-LAW-1

"The Committee notes that equal rights of women and men within marriage and family relations are guaranteed in national legislation, including the Family Code and the State Guarantees for Ensuring Equal Rights and Equal Opportunities for Men and Women Act. Nevertheless, it is concerned about the following: (a) The limited measures to enforce the prohibition of polygamy and the lack of data on its prevalence in the State party; (b) The lack of legislative measures to protect the economic rights, including with regard to property, of women in polygamous or de facto unions and upon their dissolution or the death of their spouse or partner" (15). "The Committee... recommends that...more
May 22, 2023, 11:18 a.m.
Countries: South Africa
Variables: PW-PRACTICE-3

"More than 800 couples walked down the aisle on Easter Sunday in one of the biggest mass wedding ceremonies in South Africa since the COVID-19 pandemic. The International Pentecost Holiness Church blesses polygamous unions, which are common in some African communities, and the church says are authorised by the Bible" (Para.1-2). "Its mass nuptials take place three times a year – at Easter, in December, and also during the celebrations in September of the church's founding in 1962" (Para.3). "Ditopa, 37, said her husband's second marriage was 'fulfilling what God has created for us, fulfilling the scripture that says women will be leaning towards one man' " (Para.6).more
April 14, 2023, 12:43 p.m.
Countries: Guinea
Variables: PW-PRACTICE-3

"[W]ith the individualisation of land administration rights, land no longer goes to the eldest son on the death of the father, but is divided equally between the latter's co-wives when the union is polygamous. This change in practice allows younger women to continue cultivating their land while their children grow up" (32).
April 4, 2023, 12:11 p.m.
Countries: Russia
Variables: PW-PRACTICE-3, POLY-LAW-1

"Polygamy is illegal under Russian federal law. However, it remains permissible in traditional practice for Chechen men. In these circumstances and considering Russian Family Law does not permit the registration of an official partnership, the reassurance of the Chechen leader Mr Kadyrov that all legal norms, religious practices and local traditions had been observed in the case 17-year-old school girl and police chief are irrelevant and lead to the inevitable conclusion that the marriage in question is invalid. This in turn effectively means that the ‘wife’ has no legal rights to seek support from her ‘husband’ or to claim any joint property of the parties or to inherit after her...more
March 15, 2023, 2:06 p.m.
Countries: Palestine
Variables: PW-PRACTICE-3, POLY-LAW-1

"Men may marry more than one wife. Women may add conditions to marriage contracts to protect their interests in the event of divorce and child custody disputes but rarely did so. Local officials sometimes advised such women to leave their communities to avoid harassment" (78-79).
March 4, 2023, 3:17 p.m.
Countries: Nigeria
Variables: LO-LAW-1, IAW-PRACTICE-1, IAD-PRACTICE-1, PW-PRACTICE-3

"Under Nigerian law, if a man dies without having made a will, his estate is apportioned among his heirs by customary law, which differs by tribe and region. In Northern Nigeria Sharia law governs property distribution, while in Yoruba regions an estate is divided differently between polygamous families and monogamous families. In polygamous families the estate is divided equally between the deceased’s wives, with the children of each wife receiving an equal share. In monogamous families the estate is subject to the OriOjori method where each child of the deceased, male and female, receives an equal share. In Igbo culture, in the absence of a will, the oldest son of...more
Feb. 3, 2023, 1:37 p.m.
Countries: Lesotho
Variables: PW-PRACTICE-3, PW-LAW-1

"When Nkhono (Grandmother) Mathibo’s husband passed away she was forced off her land by her step-son who was born of a her husband’s first wife. The elderly woman left her home for fear of her life; her step-son had threatened to kill her. Lesotho’s inheritance laws give the first born male child all the inheritance rights. In a polygamous marriage, the heir is the firstborn male child of the first married wife" (para 2-3).
Jan. 18, 2023, 5:07 p.m.
Countries: Ghana
Variables: PW-PRACTICE-3

"One would have thought that even if Ghana was light years away from abolition of polygamy which infringes on the rights of women, the Bill would have proposed a compulsory dissolution of such marriages in court. For now such exclusive right of the court to dissolve marriages is only in respect of those under the Marriage Ordinance. If the Bill grants only the courts that power it will would take away from the hands of traditional chiefs, heads of family, elders and community leaders to dissolve polygamous marriages as they are prone to dissolve marriages without making property distribution in accordance with the proposals in the Bill" (17).more
Jan. 6, 2023, 3:42 p.m.
Countries: Ethiopia
Variables: PW-PRACTICE-3

"Women’s rights to land are sidelined despite the legal provisions that envisage joint ownership of husbands and wives. In practice, issues related to the rights of widows, divorced women and polygamous wives are ignored (8). Although the Constitution guarantees women’s rights upon dissolution of marriage, in reality the only way for widows or divorced women to secure their rights to land is to enter into marriage with one of their brothers-in-law. Indeed, if women return to their natal homes, they will not be provided for because traditional inheritance and marriage practices envisage that a woman’s right to land resides with her husband" (para 18). "Laws related to marriage, ownership and...more
Jan. 6, 2023, 3:42 p.m.
Countries: Ethiopia
Variables: IW-PRACTICE-1, ATDW-PRACTICE-1, ATDW-LAW-1, PW-PRACTICE-3

"Women’s rights to land are sidelined despite the legal provisions that envisage joint ownership of husbands and wives. In practice, issues related to the rights of widows, divorced women and polygamous wives are ignored (8). Although the Constitution guarantees women’s rights upon dissolution of marriage, in reality the only way for widows or divorced women to secure their rights to land is to enter into marriage with one of their brothers-in-law. Indeed, if women return to their natal homes, they will not be provided for because traditional inheritance and marriage practices envisage that a woman’s right to land resides with her husband" (para 18).
Jan. 5, 2023, 4:56 p.m.
Countries: Eritrea
Variables: LO-PRACTICE-1, ATDW-LAW-1, ATFPA-PRACTICE-2, PW-PRACTICE-3

"The plot of farm land allocated for married couples was normally registered in the name of the husband. This directive has corrected (amended) the practice and the plot of farm land is equally divided and registered on under both. In case of divorce she takes her share, i.e. her own part of the land. In rare cases of polygamy among Muslim community, each wife gets her own plot of land and in case of divorce gets her share back. Housing land is a common property registered under both names of the couple and in case of divorce is divided equally" (8).
Dec. 26, 2022, 5:35 p.m.
Countries: Qatar
Variables: PW-PRACTICE-3, PW-LAW-1

"Men can marry up to four wives but can divorce any wife without even informing them about it" (para 3).
Dec. 26, 2022, 4:41 p.m.
Countries: Nigeria
Variables: PW-PRACTICE-3

"The practice of money marriage still exists because it is seen as a status symbol. In the communities where it is practised, it is believed that men attain more respect, based on the number of wives they have" (para 18).
Dec. 9, 2022, 4 p.m.
Countries: Cote D'Ivoire
Variables: PW-PRACTICE-3

"Polygamy is prohibited in many parts of the world but remains widespread in West African countries" (para 1). "Although polygamy has declined globally in the last decade it remains common in West Africa. It is most widely practiced in sub-Saharan Africa" (para 6-7). " 'Across regions and regardless of religious background, polygamy is common in Ivory Coast. Men have multiple wives and communities accept that. So exclusive monogamy doesn’t fit with our realities, our customs. We can’t just copy-paste legislation that was put in place in Western countries. We have to give people the option,' [MP Yacouba Sangaré] argues" (para 9). "In practice, women in polygamous unions have limited rights...more
Nov. 15, 2022, 11:08 p.m.
Countries: Rwanda
Variables: IAW-LAW-2, IAD-PRACTICE-1, PW-PRACTICE-3

"Women experienced some difficulties pursuing property claims due to lack of knowledge, procedural bias against women in inheritance matters, multiple spousal claims due to polygyny, and the threat of gender-based violence" (34).
Nov. 15, 2022, 11:05 p.m.
Countries: Rwanda
Variables: LO-LAW-1, ATDW-LAW-1, IAW-LAW-1, PW-PRACTICE-3

"Although the 2006 land reform in Rwanda was designed to address gender discrimination in relation to land distribution and land rights, the reform has some weaknesses. For instance, only the rights of women who are in a marriage registered under statutory law are protected by the new land reform. 'Living in consensual unions and polygamous marriages do not confer any legal rights on women, nor do religious or traditional marriage ceremonies.'[3] However, especially in rural Rwanda, many couples are married only under traditional customary law. Across Rwanda, about one-third of marriages are not registered by the state. In case of separation or death of the spouse, this usually means that...more
Oct. 28, 2022, 12:47 p.m.
Countries: D R Congo
Variables: LO-PRACTICE-1, DV-DATA-1, ATFPA-PRACTICE-2, PW-PRACTICE-3

"As men control decision making in households, women having control over resources such as land titles is regarded as taboo. In addition, polygamous practices also present challenges to women’s decision-making roles and opportunities, as a woman’s status within her household can become a source of tension. One male respondent shared that, 'a woman with land under her name is dangerous—I will never allow my wife to be friends with her.' In fact, communities reported that domestic violence can take place in front of family members and children as a means to enforce 'discipline' over wives" (para 11).
Jan. 6, 2022, 12:09 p.m.
Countries: Somalia
Variables: PW-PRACTICE-3

"Polygyny is on the rise in Somalia. A man does not need permission to take a second, third, or fourth wife. The grounds on taking multiple wives can vary from infertility, a woman bearing only daughters, marrying a widow, current wife is pregnant, or because this is what he feels like doing" (1).
Sept. 29, 2021, 9:33 a.m.
Countries: Mali
Variables: LO-PRACTICE-1, LO-LAW-1, PW-PRACTICE-3, PW-LAW-1

"While the law provides for equal property rights, traditional practices and ignorance of the law prevented women from taking full advantage of their rights. The marriage contract must specify if the couple wishes to share estate rights. If marriage certificates of Muslim couples do not specify the type of marriage, judges presume the marriage to be polygynous" (23).
Sept. 22, 2021, 10:41 a.m.
Countries: Afghanistan
Variables: PW-PRACTICE-3

"[T]he Committee is concerned that women and girls are discriminated against in legal provisions with regard to marriage and family relations, in particular the following: (a) Article 86 of the Civil Code and article 91 of the Shia Personal Status Law, under which Sunni and Shia men may marry up to four wives at one time" (16).
July 9, 2021, 1:38 p.m.
Countries: Kenya
Variables: PW-PRACTICE-3, PW-LAW-1

"The law codifies the right of men to enter into consensual marriage with additional women without securing the consent of any existing wife" (p 35).
June 25, 2021, 11:56 a.m.
Countries: Senegal
Variables: PW-PRACTICE-3

"Some men take two wives, or more, but for women, sexuality often remains hidden behind a culture of 'sutura' — a Wolof term suggestive of discretion and modesty"(para 16).
June 17, 2021, 9:59 p.m.
Countries: Turkmenistan
Variables: PW-PRACTICE-3

"Reclusive Turkmenistan appeared to be cracking down on polygamous relationships on Tuesday, with the parliament issuing new legislation against the practice in the majority-Muslim ex-Soviet republic. Polygamy is already formally banned and punishable by up to two years of corrective labour in ex-Soviet Turkmenistan. But nevertheless it has a degree of social acceptability and was traditionally practised before the Soviet era. A new amendment to the family code passed by parliament and published in the state newspaper Neutral Turkmenistan on Tuesday seemed aimed at clearing up any ambiguity. It stated that polygamy 'refers to cohabitation with two or more women at the same time' and stressed that this was 'not...more