Polygyny: Women's Views in a Transitional Society, Nigeria 1975

Womens attitudes toward polygyny are examined in the context of a transitional urban society in western Nigeria - a society in which almost 1/2 of all wives live in polygynous unions. The data on the incidence of polygyny are drawn from a sample of 6606 women of all marital statuses; the data on attitudes is based on in-depth interviews with 250 wives. The most important finding is possibly the lack of any clear division between monogamously and polygynously married women. In a society in which polygyny is so widely accepted nearly all monogamous marriages are perceived as potentially polygynous and sole wives need to always consider the prospect of additional wives. 60% of the wives indicated straightforwardly that they would be pleased if their husbands took another wife; they would be pleased to share the housework husband care and child-minding and to have someone to gossip and play with. 23% openly expressed anger at the idea of sharing material and sexual resources with another wife while the remainder expressed some ambivalence. The more traditionally oriented uneducated wives were more inclined to be pleased with the idea of sharing their husband (67%) in contrast to those with some formal Western-style education (54%). Wives opinions on personal autonomy fertility womens issues and general development are also examined.