Women in polygynous marriages : their perceptions and experiences / Armia U. Ebrahim, Juwaiiya U. Lingga, Arbaya H. Boquia, Norkania C. Samama

Polygyny or the marriage of a man to two or more women at the same time is not a common norm in Philippine culture but is adopted by the Muslim populace under Shari'ah or Islamic Law . In this study, sixteen Muslim Filipino women from various ethnic groups such as Maguindanaon, Iranun, and Bulakenya participated in focus group discussions and interviews where they described their perceptions about polygyny and their relationships with their husbands as well as their husbands' relationships with their wives and their children. They also described the problems they usually encounter in their families and what their suggestions of a happy or harmonious polygynous family are. Findings reveal that the participants tend to have dichotomous perceptions on polygyny. They perceive polygyny either favorably or unfavorably depending on their Islamic background and marital life experiences. The women, who had favorable experiences in their marriages, tend to have favorable perceptions about polygyny, while those who had unfavorable experiences tend to also perceive polygyny unfavorably. For a polygynous family to be happy, the participants suggested that the woman must accept the marriage based on faith in God, the husband has to fairly treat and provide for his families, the wives must imbue good character and respect for each other, and all family members must maintain open communication and good relationship.

Psychology.