Despite being illegal, polygamous marriage remains alive and well in Ethiopia, and that poses some obvious challenges when it comes to land rights. Statistics from 2011 reveal that 11 percent of married women in Ethiopia share a husband with one or two other wives.

Where is polygamy most common in Africa?

sub-Saharan Africa In many countries, marriages are governed by religious or customary law, which means that oversight is in the hands of clerics or community leaders. Polygamy is most often found in sub-Saharan Africa, where 11% of the population lives in arrangements that include more than one spouse.

Is polygamy practiced in Africa?

Polygamy has declined in the last decade but remains common in West Africa. In most West African countries, polygamy is also recognised and regulated by the civil law that allows a man to marry up to four women under certain conditions, including the financial capacity to support multiple wives and families.

How many wives can I have in Ethiopia?

While polygamy in Ethiopia has been formally abolished in the Family and Criminal Code of Ethiopia, the practice is still common with five percent of married Ethiopian men (mostly among Muslims and pagans) having more than one wife. Several stories of polygamous groupings have made international news.

Is Cameroon safe to live?

Violent crime, such as armed robbery and carjacking, is common throughout Cameroon. The U.S. government has limited ability to provide emergency services to U.S. citizens in North, Far North, Northwest, Southwest, and Parts of Adamawa and East Regions of Cameroon due to current official travel restrictions.

What are the effects of polygamy?

Individual studies report a higher prevalence of somatization, depression, anxiety, hostility, psychoticism and psychiatric disorder in polygynous wives as well as reduced life and marital satisfaction, problematic family functioning and low self-esteem.