Policy and Management Challenges to Women’s Realization of the Right to Health in Polygyamous Marriages in Uganda

Abstract

Polygamy remains one of the key topics in various societies of Uganda. Whereas the government of Uganda has put policies to ensure safe childbirth, good health care for women and good family planning practices, there are still many cases of violation of women’s sexual and reproductive health rights in polygamous marriages. United Nations reported in 2016 that more than half a million women die in pregnancy or childbirth annually, and 99% of those cases are in developing countries. WHO reported in 2016 that 50% of polygynous women are less willing than their monogamous counterparts to use contraception. Health of women in polygamous marriages is compromised by repeated pregnancies spaced too closely, often as the result of social pressures including production of male children (Trowel, 2014). The study was conducted in Arua, Buikwe, Gomba, Jinja, Mayuge, Namayingo and Iganga districts of Uganda and aimed to investigate the policy challenges to the realization of the right to sexual and reproductive health of women in polygamous marriages in Uganda. The study employed a case study design collecting qualitative data using interviews, focus group discussion and document review. Data was analyzed using thematic analysis. The findings revealed that polygamous marriages are in violation of women’s rights suggesting a recommendation that polygamous marriages should not be considered a human right as long as it puts women’s universal human rights at risk. Further, after analyzing the findings, the researcher made recommendations including that: decision and policy makers should consider prefacing laws prohibiting polygamy with the international legal obligations, accompanied with policy arguments requiring states to modify such practices.