Can sharing a husband be GOOD for women? Polygamous households 'are wealthier and have healthier children'

  • Study looked at polygynous and monogamous households in Tanzania
  • Those with multiple wives found to own more cattle and farm more land
  • Polygyny often found in areas of poor child health and when food is scarce

Polygyny, where a man has more than one wife, was found to be beneficial to the entire household in a study by UC Davies

Polygyny, where a man has more than one wife, was found to be beneficial to the entire household in a study by UC Davies

It's the dream of some men and the nightmare of others.

But now scientists have discovered that having multiple wives can actually be good for the entire family.

A new study into polygyny - where a man has more than one wife (polygamy is the umbrella term for multiple marriages) - found it lead to greater health and wealth for women and their children.

While countries around the globe ban or restrict marriages to more than one spouse at a time, UC Davis researchers looked at the established practice in parts of Tanzania.

They compared polygynous and monogamous households in 56 villages in northern parts of the country, where polygyny is widespread among certain ethnic groups, including the Maasai. 

It was found that polygynous households often had better access to food and healthier children. 

They also owned more cattle and farmed more land than monogamous households. 

'If you have a choice of a guy who has 180 cows, lots of land and other wives, it might be better for you to marry him rather than a guy who has no wives, three cows and one acre,' said anthropologist and study lead, Monique Borgerhoff Mulder.

Scientists suggest the findings support early accounts of marriage - that polygyny can be in a woman's strategic interest when they depend on men for resources. 

The practice of taking several wives has been practiced for many centuries by cultures from all over the world.

It can often be found in areas where food is scarce and there is poor health amongst children.

But rather than being the cause of this, researchers suggest it can be beneficial to these people. 

So while the United Nations states that polygyny contravenes a woman's right to equality with men and that such marriages ought to be discouraged and prohibited, the study found this a depended on local factors.

They suggest that in some settings, prohibiting polygyny could be disadvantageous to women by restricting their marriage options.

'The issue is not the number of partners,' Professor Borgerhoff Mulder said. 'Women should be assured the autonomy to make the decisions they want'

A study of polygyny found that it could make households healthier and wealthier, depending on which part of the world they lived. The practice was more common where food was scarce, scientists found (file photo)

A study of polygyny found that it could make households healthier and wealthier, depending on which part of the world they lived. The practice was more common where food was scarce, scientists found (file photo)