Rights activists demand a ban on polygamy in Uganda

If man and woman are equal, why then should a man be allowed to have several wives while a woman can only have one husband? This is the question the Constitutional Court will answer after listening to a submission from a human rights organisation, Mifumi Uganda, that wants the polygamous marriages declared unconstitutional. The Mifumi activists, say polygamy undermines the wellbeing of women, making them prone to diseases the man might pick and pass on from other women. They mention that it is also a waste of resources that would otherwise be spent on the one wife in the home contrary to the provisions of the Constitution. The activists say they have travelled widely, including visiting Muslim countries, and discovered that polygamy is often denounced and not accepted by families and communities. They therefore want the Islamic law that allows men to marry more than one wife checked as well. Basing on this, the activists also want the practice of paying bride price and all other laws supporting polygamy declared unconstitutional.