Polygyny as a Violation of Women's Right to Equality in Marriage: An Historical, Comparative and International Human Rights Overview

The author urges feminists and scholars to re-examine their respect for cultural relativism in light of the harms to women created by laws that allow polygyny and in light of international human rights conventions. Because the voices of women have historically been absent in the development of cultural norms, the author contends that culture cannot be used as a justification for the violation of women's human rights in marriage. Polygyny is argued to violate a women's right, to equality within marriage,to religious freedom, and to enjoy her culture. [Descriptors: Marriage, International]