Reader Question: Multiple Wives
I recently got a question from a regular blog reader about the practice of having multiple wives that I thought I would share here:
I wondered how widespread plural marriage is in your region of Senegal. I assume it’s acceptable to Muslims but probably not to Christians. Or maybe it’s a practice that isn’t confined to a particular religious tradition? Do you have any reflections on how the institution works based on your experience?
Muslim men are allowed to have up to four wives according to the Quran. From my observations, the choice and ability to have more wives often is related to the man's wealth; it takes more money to support a larger family and to pay dowries to the brides' families. Younger men tend to have one wife and may take up to three more as they become older and acquire more wealth. (The Jaxanke phrase about marrying a woman literally translates to "to take a wife," hence my phrasing here. I get asked most days "You haven't taken a wife yet? Why?").
My host dad has two wives. If I were to make a broad guess across my village, I would estimate men over 25 have an average of 1.5 to 2 wives. A lot of men, especially those below age 30, have only one wife. Wives are often at least 7-10 years younger than their husbands. Unfortunately, this means many girls get married and begin having children before they are 18. The Senegalese government is working to stop the practice of child marriage, but it is a slow transition, especially in rural areas. I am not well-versed in the government's actions concerning child marriage, but I know they are working to end this practice. The current legal age for marriage is 16.
A family with two or more wives has its advantages and disadvantages. If the wives do not get along with one another or if they are constantly competing for the attention of their shared husband, domestic issues can quickly develop. Another disadvantage of men having multiple wives is the increased potential for spreading sexually transmitted infections. On the other hand, wives with a shared husband often split up chores. For example, my two host moms alternate cooking days. Cooking in Senegal is a lot more time-intensive than cooking in the US, so having every other day off from cooking is a big time-saver for women.
One persistent question I have about the practice of taking multiple wives is this: after hundreds of generations of men taking multiple wives in Senegal, how are there enough women in the population for this practice to continue? Islam has been in Senegal for about 1000 years, so the practice of taking multiple wives has been going on for at least that long in Senegal. Based on simple math, every single man for many generation in a row cannot have multiple wives. The numbers do not work.
I have asked all types of people here (Peace Corps Staff, volunteers, host country nationals) and have not yet heard a convincing answer. Some people tell me that there are significantly more women than men in Senegal, which is not true based on population statistics. There must be a large population of unmarried Senegalese men somewhere to offset the men with multiple wives. I have not seen this unmarried male population. The men from my village who live in Dakar or Europe for work have wives and kids who stay in the village. Religious leaders often do not marry, but there are not enough of them to offset every other man having multiple wives. Men taking younger and younger wives could solve the math problem, but this practice has been going on for at least 1000 years. If any of my blog readers have any ideas as to how the population math works in this situation, I would love to hear them.
To answer the question as it relates to Christianity, I had to ask other volunteers. There are some Bedik (Christian) villages near my village, but I have only passed through them occasionally and have not inquired about marriage. I have met Christians in Kedougou, but Bedik and Bassari people rarely speak a lot of Jaxanke, so it is tough for me to communicate with them; they often speak French and/or Pulaar in addition to their own language (Bedik or Bassari). A friend who lives near a lot of Bassari people told me that some Bassari men do have multiple wives; the practice of taking multiple wives existed in Bassari culture before they adopted Christianity. I do not have confirmation that the same is true for the Bedik people or other Christian populations in Senegal, but I would not be surprised if men in other Christian populations also take multiple wives per their traditional practices.
Answer to Name that Song in Jaxanke #3: Sympathique by Pink Martini
Note: I have spent a lot of time in village recently, hence the delay in blog posts. I will be in the city of Kedougou through the end of August to help out with the annual Kedougou Youth Leadership Camp that volunteers run for kids from around the region. I'll be back on track with weekly posts after camp ends, inchallah.
I wondered how widespread plural marriage is in your region of Senegal. I assume it’s acceptable to Muslims but probably not to Christians. Or maybe it’s a practice that isn’t confined to a particular religious tradition? Do you have any reflections on how the institution works based on your experience?
Muslim men are allowed to have up to four wives according to the Quran. From my observations, the choice and ability to have more wives often is related to the man's wealth; it takes more money to support a larger family and to pay dowries to the brides' families. Younger men tend to have one wife and may take up to three more as they become older and acquire more wealth. (The Jaxanke phrase about marrying a woman literally translates to "to take a wife," hence my phrasing here. I get asked most days "You haven't taken a wife yet? Why?").
My host dad has two wives. If I were to make a broad guess across my village, I would estimate men over 25 have an average of 1.5 to 2 wives. A lot of men, especially those below age 30, have only one wife. Wives are often at least 7-10 years younger than their husbands. Unfortunately, this means many girls get married and begin having children before they are 18. The Senegalese government is working to stop the practice of child marriage, but it is a slow transition, especially in rural areas. I am not well-versed in the government's actions concerning child marriage, but I know they are working to end this practice. The current legal age for marriage is 16.
A family with two or more wives has its advantages and disadvantages. If the wives do not get along with one another or if they are constantly competing for the attention of their shared husband, domestic issues can quickly develop. Another disadvantage of men having multiple wives is the increased potential for spreading sexually transmitted infections. On the other hand, wives with a shared husband often split up chores. For example, my two host moms alternate cooking days. Cooking in Senegal is a lot more time-intensive than cooking in the US, so having every other day off from cooking is a big time-saver for women.
One persistent question I have about the practice of taking multiple wives is this: after hundreds of generations of men taking multiple wives in Senegal, how are there enough women in the population for this practice to continue? Islam has been in Senegal for about 1000 years, so the practice of taking multiple wives has been going on for at least that long in Senegal. Based on simple math, every single man for many generation in a row cannot have multiple wives. The numbers do not work.
I have asked all types of people here (Peace Corps Staff, volunteers, host country nationals) and have not yet heard a convincing answer. Some people tell me that there are significantly more women than men in Senegal, which is not true based on population statistics. There must be a large population of unmarried Senegalese men somewhere to offset the men with multiple wives. I have not seen this unmarried male population. The men from my village who live in Dakar or Europe for work have wives and kids who stay in the village. Religious leaders often do not marry, but there are not enough of them to offset every other man having multiple wives. Men taking younger and younger wives could solve the math problem, but this practice has been going on for at least 1000 years. If any of my blog readers have any ideas as to how the population math works in this situation, I would love to hear them.
To answer the question as it relates to Christianity, I had to ask other volunteers. There are some Bedik (Christian) villages near my village, but I have only passed through them occasionally and have not inquired about marriage. I have met Christians in Kedougou, but Bedik and Bassari people rarely speak a lot of Jaxanke, so it is tough for me to communicate with them; they often speak French and/or Pulaar in addition to their own language (Bedik or Bassari). A friend who lives near a lot of Bassari people told me that some Bassari men do have multiple wives; the practice of taking multiple wives existed in Bassari culture before they adopted Christianity. I do not have confirmation that the same is true for the Bedik people or other Christian populations in Senegal, but I would not be surprised if men in other Christian populations also take multiple wives per their traditional practices.
Answer to Name that Song in Jaxanke #3: Sympathique by Pink Martini
Note: I have spent a lot of time in village recently, hence the delay in blog posts. I will be in the city of Kedougou through the end of August to help out with the annual Kedougou Youth Leadership Camp that volunteers run for kids from around the region. I'll be back on track with weekly posts after camp ends, inchallah.
I would say that's why the men started marrying girls younger. Also, you have to look at the life span of men. Multiple wifes work in the harsh environment and due to the number of women who die in childbirth.
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