While polygamous marriages are not legally recognized under the civil marriage laws of Malawi, customary law affords a generous amount of benefits to polygamous unions, ranging from inheritance rights to child custody. It has been estimated that nearly one in five women in Malawi live in polygamous relationships.[1]
Efforts to abolish the practice and legal recognition of polygamy have been widely apparent throughout the recent years in Malawi; led mainly by anti-AIDS organizations and feminist groups.[2] An effort led in mid 2008 to outlaw polygamy in the country was fiercely opposed by Islamic religious leaders.
|
|||||||||||