The Profound Crisis of Polygamy in South Sudan
By Betty Yom Mager, Nairobi, Kenya
Saturday, February 27, 2021 (PW) — There is a deep-seated crisis with polygamy in South Sudan. The culture of marrying many wives is becoming problematic and difficult to manage entirely in the Republic of South Sudan. In many South Sudanese’s communities; there’s a practice of polygamy and it has always been practiced for centuries and it is continuing as I speak across the entire country.
Moreover, in South Sudan’s societies; a man can marry many wives and it is allowable in many cultures. But there’s a deep crisis with this kind of marriage in our country. There’s great hatred, fights and competition of co-wives over the man.
There’re massive animosities and hostilities between co-wives and their children. There’s disagreement and discontentment over the equitable sharing of family’s wealth amongst the co-wives and their kids which always fuel fights and arguments in the family. There’re women who’re always favor by their husbands than others and that often lead to resentment and violence amongst the co-wives.
Additionally, there’re women who’re mistreated by their husband and deny equitable fair treatment in the family. There’re women who’re treated like they’re burden to the family and therefore; they don’t deserve to be given their rightful share of the family’s riches and that often created animosity and division in the family.
Furthermore, there’re some women who’re always treated like sex objects by their husbands and that is totally wrong because women are not sex objects but humans with reputable dignity in the world. Women are human beings who desire to be treated with respect and humanity on earth. Women are not third class citizens globally and they demand to be given their rightful place on this planet.
Women are not sub-humans on this planet. Women have an indisputable reality to be treated with respect and to be given their inalienable rights in this world. Additionally, polygamy is troublesome compare to monogamy on earth and that’s clearly proven in the case of South Sudan where polygamy is seen as a sign of been a tough man in life yet it is a matrimonial social crisis.
Moreover, marrying of many wives and failure to treat them fairly and equitably is a complete victimization and dehumanization of women on earth. Polygamy in which some wives are treated as more important than others is a total mockery and ill-treatment of women in the world and should completely be condemn in the strongest term possible withoutfear. South Sudan’s men should know that what matters in marriage is not quantity but quality. It is not the number of wives that a man marry that define his social status but his character and responsibility to manage the family effectively and efficiently even if with a single wife in life.
Additionally, marrying many wives in order to be on the samelevel with peers is a false belief and its need rectification and rethinking in South Sudan. Moreover, there’s a need for all women to be treated fairly whether they’re in the polygamy or monogamy marriage in South Sudan. better and equitable treatment of women is a sign of be a real gentleman and women appreciate that in life and they desire for such excellent treatment in South Sudan.
In conclusion, women and girls need to be given a chance to decide whether to be in polygamy or monogamy marriage in South Sudan. There is a need to put an end to force marriage in our country. There is that culture of forcing young girls to be marry by the rich old men who have other wives. That culture is entirely inhumane and its need to be abolish in South Sudan.
Polygamy is the root cause of deep-seated matrimonial crisis in many families and communities in South Sudan. Both socially and economically. Every living man in South Sudan should hear that. There’re many problems with polygamy compare to monogamy on earth.
The author is a Women’s rights activist and can be reach by her Email: bettyyom2009@gmail.com
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