Polygamous Marriages Research Articles

The Closure of Isbat For Polygamous Marriage on Legal Purpose Perspective

After attendance, the enactment of the Supreme Court Circular (SEMA) Number 3 of 2018 answers the legal vacuum over isbat for Polygamous marriage. But in practice, the SEMA confuses its implementation. This study aims to analyze the application of polygamous marriage law in SEMA number 3 of 2018 and the juridical implications for justice, expediency, and legal certainty. This research includes normative legal research with statutory and conceptual approaches. Gustav Radbruch's theory of legal purpose is used as his analysis knife. The study concluded that closing the door of Isbat for Polygamous marriage is not the right solution because marriage isbat is one way to obtain legal guarantees in the eyes of the state. The aggrieved subject of the SEMA was a polygamous wife who could not take legal action in seeking justice. Judging from Gustav Radbruch's theory, SEMA number 3 of 2018 has not met the elements of legal objectives. The provisions in SEMA number 3 of 2018 only accommodate the interests of children. The rights of polygamous wives should be prioritized because the benefits received are more significant than tightly closing the door of isbat for Polygamous marriage. It is necessary to review SEMA number 3 of 2018 to contain concrete values of justice, expediency and legal certainty for children and wives.

ORAG: SORSOGON VICE OR VIRTUE?

This study finds out the abstraction of the semantic orag by Bicolanos, specifically Sorsogueńos, either being vice or virtue. The study determined the usage, perception and coinage of the term from informants all over the province. Qualitative method was used in this study with an approach utilizing Critical Hermeneutics. The researcher viewed the interpersonal experiences and reactions of the informants to the semantic.There are two common perceptions to the term, positive and negative. Informants referred to it as being matibay or maabilidad (strong and willful). This positive coinage can also refer to a person who is intelligent and good at everything. However, it was perceived with an echoing meaning where the negative connotation arises. Boastfulness, ill-manner, arrogance and meanness are some of the negative connotations. But the prevailing coinage is that it is understood as a term linked to lust and sex.When asked about the origin of the term and how Bicolanos became known as oragon, the respondents perception can be categorized into three (3): (1) that it is a pure Bicol term used by ancient Bicolanos (2) that Bicolanos are known as oragon because of being brute in street fights and that Bicolanos are known to have delicacies and dishes that always include spices such as Bicol Express and (3) because the term was made famous by the well-known actor, Eddie Garcia, a Bicolano actor from Sorsogon who included Bicol terms in almost all of his movies. The historical and cultural aspects of its coinage had been revisited. It was found out that Ancient Bicol holds a rich traditional culture that embodies Bicol mindset prior to the Hispanic era. There are myths that have been believed by the ancient Bicol and one of which is that oragon is maguinoongpanonin boot. They were leaders of tribes who were believed to have acquired the power from Bathalaan hence they are maguinoong-oragon. During the Spanish colonization, however, most of the oragons became leaders of guerrillas. To aid this problem, Spanish friars deprived the oragons with their proper honorific titles and started preaching on the immoralities of polygamous marriage. Hence, maguinoong-oragon became maguinoong-bastos. From there arose all the negative coinage of the semantic: its linkage to sex and lust, boastfulness and badness. The semantic clearly has an innate goodness in its original connotation but was given a negative coinage by history. One thing is clear: it is an emblem symbolizing Bicolanos as fearless warriors, bold yet plain to truth and with dignity, as the regional march stresses. Its pure meaning still echoes and resonates in the different interpretations among Sorsogueńos. Finally, it was perceived that orag or oragon is an emblem that manifests Bicol virtue. This is a call to all Bicolanos, especially Sorsogueńos, to try to regain and muster the authentic meaning of orag. Striving to get back what was lost from history would mean enrichment to a restored culture. People must not be satisfied with the present status of the semantic for if not, it will forever be lost. As a recommendation, Orag as Bicol virtue is a recognition of a deeper understanding of the rich culture and tradition of the once maguinoong-oragon. Whatever meaning it conveys now, it definitely is a virtue that Sorsogueńos symbolize and carry as persons of worth and of values.

Pragmatism of Polygamous Family In Muslim Society: Beyond Islamic Law

Pragmatism has become a common motive in polygamous marriages, despite ignoring the principles of Islamic law. Issues ranging from unfair treatment and dishonest attitudes towards wives to the rejection of polygamous pregnant wives have colored the attitudes of pragmatic polygamous life. This article reveals pragmatic motives that become the reasons why a woman is willing to be istri selir-sirri (concubine) in polygamy. This research uses a qualitative approach in which data was collected from observation, interviews, and library studies. The findings of this study suggest that pragmatic motives exist in polygamies, such as the husband's economic stability accompanied by lust satisfaction, the woman's needs for social-economic improvement, and the need for comfort and security. The lack of power among women in relation to men of high social and economic status causes them to agree to be the second wife (selir) despite the sirri marriage status, which is officially unregistered and sometimes unknown even to their own family. As the article sees only the pragmatic sides of polygamy, it still needs further development.

Практика застосування норм ісламського сімейного права в окремих країнах Європи та досвід України

Ukraine is a secular state, which is provided for by the Constitution and a number of laws. Religious rites of marriage are not the basis for a woman and a man to have the rights and obligations of a spouse. Nevertheless, there is a need to determine how religious marriages are perceived in Ukraine. This article examines the application of Islamic law in the secular legal systems of Ukraine and other European countries with the aim of determining its problems and prospects in the domestic legal system. As a sample for comparison, we took some of the most problematic aspects of Islamic law and its application in European countries, in particular with the largest Muslim communities (the activities of the Sharia Councils in the United Kingdom, the problems of recognizing polygamous marriages in France, the marriage and divorce practices in Germany and Finland). We studied a few exemplary cases from Ukrainian judicial practice, which allowed us to understand how Ukrainian courts consider the issue of recognition of religious Muslim marriages concluded in Ukraine and abroad. Thus, we discovered in many respects the general trends in the regulation of family legal relations among European Muslim minorities. Just like in UK and Germany, Ukrainian Muslims consider three types of registration of their marriage: state, religious and state registration of religious marriage. In Finland and the aforementioned countries, as well as in Ukraine, the third option is the most common. Having also analysed domestic judicial practice, we found that Ukrainian courts, even though they don’t officially recognize religious marriages, still consider them as an additional argument for establishing the fact that a man and a woman live in the same household without marriage, which in turn generates certain legal consequences in accordance with Ukrainian family and civil legislation.

Unwilling Co-Wives and the Law of Polygamy in Pakistan

This paper is a legal realist endeavor that seeks to uncover a thorough and exhaustive description of Polygamy Law in Pakistan before moving on to a prescriptive analysis. Having an understanding of the stakes involved, background rules at play and the inadequacies within the law can be immensely useful in identifying the harm and redressing it. Thus, in first separating the “Is” from the “Ought”, Part I describes Pakistani polygamy Law and the limited legal remedies available to unwilling cowives. In Part II, the “background rules” driving the bargain amongst the parties’ to enter (or leave) polygamous marriages is discussed. Thereafter in Part III, a distributive analysis is conducted using “ideal-types” to uncover polygamy’s dual nature as a security or a threat for all the parties impacted by the law. Here I rely on the idea that marital partners “bargain in the shadow of the law” with bargaining endowments created in part by the legal rules. By comparing four typical but contrasting marriages and examining the rules about the formation and breakup of polygamous marriages, the role of the pre-existing and new wife’s consent (or not) and the economic consequences of poly-formation in ongoing and divorcing marriages, I demonstrate that the surpluses generated and distributions currently in place can both benefit and harm the cowives. Finally, Part IV will prescribe a restorative justice approach to the situation of unwilling cowives, arguing that the solution ought to be focused on redressing the social, emotional and economic harm caused to unwilling cowives than simply punishing the perpetrator. Monetary restoration, victim-focused circles, and involvement of the wider community are proposed as alternatives to punishment. My goal with this project is to provide a nuanced and theoretically informed understanding of a topic over which much ink has already been spilled. By using analytical techniques from the legal realist toolkit, I seek to recast the case of polygamy in Pakistan as more than just a “ban it” or “allow it” issue.

WHO ARE THE BREADWINNERS?

Polygamy is a highly controversial topic and the object of serious political contestation in Indonesia. Although all major Muslim organizations consider polygamy is allowed under Islamic Law, the practice is not without stigma. In 1974 when Indonesia adopted its current Marriage Law, the Indonesian parliament decided to tie polygamy to strict conditions. This law however failed to prevent the practice of unregistered polygamous marriages. Women in unregistered polygamous marriages formally hold no rights as lawful wife in case of a divorce or death of the husband. The question is what arrangements the second, third or fourth wife in unregistered polygamous marriages have made with their husband in view of the lack of legal recognition of their rights as wife. What are the consequences of non-recognition of their marriage for these women? Does legal insecurity in practice also mean economic and social insecurity? Does the husband fulfill his obligations and responsibilities towards his wives and their families? This article aims at answering those questions by looking in-depth at a selection of three case studies, which were collected during a total of nine months of research in Jakarta in 2015 and 2016. This article is part of the socio-legal domain, combining legal analysis with anthropological approaches. The starting point of the research is a legal one: the disadvantaged legal position of women whose polygamous marriage has not been registered, but a large part of the research is based on anthropological methods. Through the experiences of these women, the paper reveals a range of personal reasons and underlying causes for unregistered Islamic polygamous marriages as well as their consequences–including legal ones. The paper depicts a great diversity in the ways husbands and wives view and organize their responsibilities within their polygamous households.

TINJAUAN YURIDIS PASAL 4 AYAT 1 UNDANG UNDANG NO. 1 TAHUN 1974 TENTANG PERKAWINAN TERHADAP UPAYA MENDAPATKAN AKTA NIKAH

The purpose of this research is to find out how the juridical review of article 4 paragraph (1) of law no. 1 of 1974 concerning Marriage regarding efforts to obtain a marriage certificate and to find out what causes marriage by married husbands without going through court approval. Marriages that often occur, namely when marriages are established between married men and women who are still virgins in secret or unregistered marriages, in other words polygamous marriages occur, of course this happens because the men do not want to deal with court proceedings which will complicate matters their marriage. Phenomena like this are very common in this modern era, meanwhile according to the Marriage Law No. 1 of 1974 Article 4 paragraph (1) requires that every husband who wants to be polygamous must obtain court approval to obtain a marriage certificate, this is not done by husbands for some reason. Many cases of polygamous marriages ignore the provisions stipulated in the Marriage Law, especially those contained in Article 4 Paragraph (1), so there is a legal review that must be put forward in addressing Article 4 Paragraph (1) so that there are not many polygamous marriages in series. namely by reviewing Article 4 Paragraph (1) that in order to obtain a Marriage Certificate it is not necessary to go through Court approval but can go directly to the Office of Religious Affairs in the area of residence for polygamous marriages to take place by attaching other supporting requirements that are already known by the Village Office local.

Exploring the 21st Century Factors Precipitating Witchcraft Beliefs and Imputations in South Africa and Zimbabwe

This article discusses the factors precipitating witchcraft belief practises and imputations in South Africa and Zimbabwe in the 21st century. Efforts to ignore the epistemologies of this phenomenon and paint it as primitive have been the foundation of some writings by some authors, thus leaving the believers of witchcraft unsatisfied and hence turning a blind eye on life’s pertinent challenges. To collect data, a case study analysis, semi-structured interviews, and desk-based research were conducted. Knowledge holders, namely businessmen, police, religious leaders, traditional healers, and politicians, were interviewed. In Bindura, (Mashonaland province), 10 participants were interviewed in Zimbabwe and 10 in South Africa (Thohoyandou, Limpopo province). The study’s theoretical foundations were psychoanalytic theory and socio-cultural theory. The study’s findings revealed that certain rural population groups in South Africa and Zimbabwe still hold deep-seated beliefs in witchcraft. Some people have not forsaken their witchcraft beliefs and practices, which are deeply rooted in African culture. The scramble for power and dominance in business and politics, polygamous marriages, and religious beliefs and teachings contribute to witchcraft beliefs and imputations. Educational programmes and the mass media have not entirely prevailed in influencing positive change. In addition, there seem to be discrepancies between the provisions of the law and what is happening on the ground. It is recommended that the most effective and efficient way of addressing this conundrum would be to update the existing colonial witchcraft legislation to address the mismatch that is there between what the law says and what people believe.

Women empowerment indices and utilization of health facilities during childbirth: evidence from the 2019 Sierra Leone demographic health survey

BackgroundWomen empowerment is recognized as a potential enabling factor to the utilization of health facilities during childbirth. However, the association between women empowerment and utilization of health facilities is poorly studied, especially in counties with high maternal mortality. Therefore, we investigated the association between women empowerment indices and the utilization of health facilities during childbirth in Sierra Leone.MethodsWe analyzed secondary data from the 2019 Sierra Leone Demographic and Health Survey (SLDHS). We included 5,997 married women who had given birth in the five years before the survey, and had been sampled for the women empowerment questionnaire. The study employed the gender roles framework developed by the Harvard Institute for International Development in the selection and classification of women empowerment indices, which include influencing, resource and decision-making factors. We conducted logistic regression analyses using SPSS version 25.0 complex samples package to determine the association between women empowerment indices and utilization of health facilities.ResultsThe overall prevalence of health facility utilization during childbirth was 84.1% (5,042/5,997): 95% CI: 83.6 to 85.4. Among the influencer domain variables, women from the southern (aOR = 2.25, 95% CI: 1.34–3.78), northern (aOR = 1.69,95% CI: 1.01–2.82) and eastern regions (aOR = 3.71, 95% CI: 2.03–6.77) had higher odds of health facility utilization compared to women in the western region, while women in polygamous marriages (aOR = 0.82, 95% CI: 0.69–0.98) had lower odds of utilizing health facilities compared to their counterparts in monogamous marriages. Furthermore, women who had their first birth when they were less than 18 years, had higher odds of utilizing health facilities (aOR = 1.22, 95% CI: 1.02–1.45) compared to those who were 18 years and above. Among the resource domain variables, women with post-primary education (aOR = 1.58, 95% CI: 1.21–2.06) had higher odds of utilizing health facilities compared to their counterparts with no education and women who belonged to the richest wealth quintile (aOR = 2.42, 95% CI: 1.31–4.46) had higher odds of utilizing health facilities compared to their counterparts belonging in the poorest quintile. None of the variables in the decision making domain was significantly associated with health facility utilization.ConclusionThese findings emphasize that, successful implementation of health facility utilization interventions should prioritize women empowerment with more pragmatic efforts. Policies and programme should aim at all women with more focus on those having lower education (primary and below), belonging to the poorest wealth quintile, give birth before reaching18 years and in polygamous marriages.

No Poor among Them: Poverty and Mormonism's Trek toward Secularism

No Poor among Them: Poverty and Mormonism's Trek toward Secularism

Discrete mathematical modeling and optimal control of the marital status: Islamic polygamous marriage model case

In this paper, we discuss a discrete mathematical model of Islamic polygamy and the social position of Muslims. In eleven compartments we explain the social situation and give an explanation of the marital status of each Males and females in Islamic societies that allow polygamy. In order to controlling and reducing the number of virgins men and women, divorced men and women we implement two control variables. The first control characterizes the benefits of an awareness campaign to educate virgin men and women about the benefits marriage to the individual and society, and the second control is about the legal procedures, administrative complexities and the grave financial and social implications of divorce. After that, we applied the optimal control theory to describe such an optimal strategies and finally a numerical simulation was performed to verify the theoretical analysis using a progressive-regressive discrete schema that converges following a convenient test related to the Forward–Backward Sweep Method (FBSM).

Exploring the Experiences and Effects of Polygamous Marriages on Community Women in Zamboanga City, Philippines

Exploring the Experiences and Effects of Polygamous Marriages on Community Women in Zamboanga City, Philippines

Regspraak: Huweliksgoedereregtelike bedeling lukraak terugwerkend gewysig én die betrokkenes se handelingsbevoegdheid só verminder?

Legal certainty will be severely jeopardised should it be possible at whim to proclaim the applicable matrimonial property regime governing spouses’ assets and liabilities to have been changed retroactively. The legislature prescribed clearly defined prerequisites to be met before any change regarding a couple’s matrimonial property regime can be sanctioned by the high court and then only for the future, but never with retrospective force. Under the dualistic systems that apply in South Africa since 1652 it has always been recognised that individuals living according to customary or indigenous law may by default govern their matrimonial property regimes and the law of husband and wife according to the applicable norms of indigenous law. By default these marriages were out of community of property although a couple could agree to change the default position and have their consensus in this regard registered. The couple M was married according to customary law in the erstwhile Eastern Cape in 1980 and the marriage was never registered. The default position should accordingly govern the matrimonial property regime of the couple resulting in no community of property and no accrual system. The husband’s legal capacity and competencies were consequently not restricted by the qualifications contained in section 15 of the Matrimonial Property Act 88 of 1984 because that chapter of the act was not applicable to a customary marriage concluded in 1980 and which is by default out of community of property. When the husband as registered sole owner in 2010 entered into a valid sale agreement to transfer his immovable property on the Cape Flats to the first respondent nothing hampered or restricted the parties’ capacity to enter into the applicable obligatory or real agreements. The property was subsequently validly transferred in the Deeds Register to the purchaser. The plaintiff’s claim as widow of the seller who since passed away, to have the property “retransferred” into her name because the sale and transfer was allegedly in contravention of section 15 of Act 88 of 1984, is unconvincing although the court held otherwise. The crux of the matter is not whether the first respondent should be safeguarded against the consequences of an alleged invalid agreement by the husband who acted without the involvement of his wife in 2010 by a reliance on section 15(9)(a) of that act. The emphasis should have been on how the alleged amendment of section 7(2) of Act 120 of 1998 in June 2021 could be deemed to apply retrospectively after the sale and transfer had validly been concluded for eleven years before the poorly formulated amendment of the act became law in June 2021. A contract of sale that was validly concluded cannot retrospectively become invalid because the legislature changed the requirements for the type of contract more than a decade later. The court’s point of departure for its judgment is, however, that the deceased was married in community of property: “The Recognition of Customary Marriages Amendment Act 1 of 2021, which came into operation on 1 June 2021, among others, amended section 7 of the RCMA that all marriages, which were entered into before or after the enactment of the RCMA, are regarded as in community of property unless such consequences are specifically excluded by the spouses in an antenuptial contract” (par 20). This, notwithstanding the clear legal position regarding the default matrimonial property regime for all indigenous marriages concluded before the commencement of Act 120 of 1998: out of community of property. The legislature was supposed to adhere to the decision of the constitutional court in 2017 in Ramuhovhi v President of the Republic of South Africa (2018 2 SA 1 (CC)) to amend section 7(1) of Act 120 of 1998 with regard to polygamous marriages and not to alter the legal position regarding monogamous marriages that were governed without any found negative consequences by section 7(2) of that act. Although the legislature neglected to explicitly declare that this amendment of section 7(2) should have no impact retrospectively, the implications of this poorly conceived judgment will necessitate a re-opening of all the millions of estates of people who have been married according to a customary marriage since 1652 because all those marriages will now be deemed to have been in community of property with the consequential implications for the distribution of all assets of the spouses involved with the dissolution of the marriages after the demise of the dying spouse. The legislature would have caused less harm if it read with comprehension the clear order of the constitutional court: “In terms of s 172(1)(b) of the Constitution, this order does not invalidate a winding up of a deceased estate that has been finalised or the transfer of marital property that has been effected.”

Joint Property after Divorce in the Polygamous Marriage: Comparative Research in Indonesia and Malaysia

This research analyzes the concept and law formulation of the joint property after divorce in an Indonesian and Malaysian polygamous marriage. The problem that often arises is when the first, second, third, and fourth wives live under the support of the husband. However, issues with dividing up the joint property are likely to arise when one of the women decides to get a divorce. This research uses a normative juridical approach to achieve the research aims by collecting secondary, primary, and tertiary legal materials. The concept of marriage in Indonesia is regulated based on article 35, paragraph 1, Indonesia Law Number 16 of 1974, marriage law number 16 of 2019, and instruction of President number 1 of 1991. In Malaysia, this concept is regulated based on the Islamic Family Law Enactment, section 122:2, and the Fatwa authority of the National Council for Malaysian Islamic Religious Affairs (MKI). Furthermore, the regulation of joint property in Indonesia is regulated in article 94 of the Islamic Law Compilation and Malaysia in MKI 2003, section 122:2. In these regulations, the two countries have similarities in regulating joint property after divorce, as sourced from Al-Qur’an and Hadith. However, some deficiencies should be corrected to reinforce and explain legal certainty.

Judges Considerations in Canceling Polygamous Marriages in Religious Courts

Polygamy is allowed in Indonesia, providing the act is justified by religion and the rules of marriage law. A husband who wants to have more than one wife must fulfil various requirements of the Court. Based on the principle of “audi alteram partem,” the Supreme Court panel assesses the consideration of the Jambi Provincial Religious High Court against the answers, evidence, and witnesses presented by the defendant. This is to ensure the right decision is made, though the case was submitted late and no trial was filed. This research found that the Supreme Court deems a polygamy permit compulsory and aims to protect the welfare of the parties bound in the marriage. The word “can” in The Compilation of Islamic Law (KHI) article 71A showed that a marriage annulled due to polygamy without court permission is tentative or facultative. This indicated an annulment application must be submitted to the Court and the final decision is dependent on the assessment of the benefit of the wife and/or children. The legal consequence, based on the decision of the Religious Court to accept the marriage itsbat and the refusal to cancel the marriage bond, is that the children of the second wife will receive inheritance rights from the father, including property obtained with the first wife.

Exercise of Polish Citizen’s Right to Enter into Marriage with a Foreigner Abroad

The freedom to marry a foreigner abroad is derived from the principle of a voluntary entry into marriage, which is manifested in the freedom to choose the spouse. The article analyses those provisions of the Polish law that apply to a marriage between a Polish citizen and a foreigner abroad. Issues such as the form of contracting marriage, obtaining a certificate of legal capacity to contract marriage in accordance with the Polish law and the possibility of contracting marriage before a consul have been discussed. The results of the analysis show that the law of Poland fully recognizes the lex loci celebrationis matrimonii principle as long as its implementation does not contradict the fundamental principles of the legal order of the Republic of Poland. Thanks to the institution of the certificate of legal capacity to contract marriage issued by the head of the registry office, the capacity of a Polish citizen to marry abroad is assessed in accordance with the Polish law. It also provides the grounds for the recognition of the marriage contracted abroad in the domestic legal order. However, certain forms of marriage, such as same-sex or polygamous marriage, cannot be recognized since Article 18 of the Constitution of the Republic of Poland, according to which marriage is a union of a woman and a man, stands against this possibility.

The Importance of Family Law Against Women in Polygamy

In Indonesia, regarding the relationship between husband and wife or marriage law based on monogamy. However, polygamous marriages in Islam are not prohibited and are accommodated by the government in the Marriage Law. In Indonesia, regarding the relationship between husband and wife or marriage law based on monogamy. However, polygamous marriages in Islam are not prohibited and are accommodated by the government in the Marriage Law. This research method is descriptive qualitative. Data obtained through literature review or literature study. The results of the research are that there are government efforts related to family law that handle or overcome cases that occur to women including wives in polygamy who experience domestic violence, and their rights are not fulfilled. Permission to polygamy by the Religious Courts can be granted if the husband's reason has fulfilled alternative reasons in accordance with the provisions of Article 4 paragraph (2) and the cumulative conditions listed in Article 5 paragraph (1) of Law Number 1 of 1974.

Women’s experiences of living with involuntary childlessness in Uganda: a qualitative phenomenological study

BackgroundInvoluntary childlessness is a global phenomenon that negatively impacts the couple, or the family involved. The experiences of women living with involuntary childlessness have not been well documented in the literature, specifically in the Ugandan context. The purpose of the study was to explore the experiences of women living with involuntary childlessness in Uganda.MethodsA qualitative phenomenological approach was used. Fifteen in-depth interviews were conducted among women experiencing involuntary childlessness attending a National Referral Hospital. Purposive sampling was, and data saturation determined the actual sample size. Thematic analysis was used for data analysis. The results are presented in the form of text and narrative quotes from participants.ResultsSix themes emerged (i) Inadequate social support (ii) psychological torture (iii) continued grief (iv) marital instability (v) failure attributed to childlessness and (vi) financial constraints. Inadequate social support was in the form of having an unsupportive partner, altered social relation, and altered social status, while women experienced name-calling, emotional abuse, stigma, and blame under the psychological torture theme. Women experienced feelings of distress and grief, including anger, irritability, sadness, stress, and feelings of despair. Women with involuntary childlessness recounted experiencing unstable marriages characterized by infidelity, divorce, abandonment, and polygamous marriages. Some women coped positively, while others employed negative coping strategies such as social withdrawal and isolation. Women who their partners and families well supported coped positively. In contrast, those who did not receive as much support were stressed, sad, angry, and had lost hope of pregnancy.ConclusionsIn this study, women with involuntary childlessness lacked social support amidst experiences of marital turmoil, psychological torture, feelings of distress and grief, unfulfilled motherhood expectations, and financial constraints while seeking treatment, therefore, there is a need to screen the women for psychological / mental illness symptoms and provide empathetic care and counseling. The prevalence of involuntary childlessness is not well documented in Uganda and a study can be done to determine its extent.

An Ethnographic study of Vhavenda Cultural Practices Concerning Marriage and its Impacts on HIV/AIDS Management

This ethnographic study was conducted to investigate the influence of Vhavenda marriage-related cultural practises on HIV/AIDS management in the Vhembe district of Limpopo in South Africa. In 2019, 14 community leaders and elders with expertise of Vhavenda traditional customs were purposefully chosen. Data were collected, using in-depth individual interviews and an observation tool. Data were analysed manually following ethnographic qualitative content analysis. It emerged from the data analysis that Vhavenda culture promotes polygamous marriages, and other marriage-related rituals, like partner inheritance. In addition, the findings indicated that these cultural practices negatively affect HIV/AIDS management in the research setting. In light of this,, we advised adopting a contextualised, culturally relevant approach to HIV/AIDS management in research-based healthcare institutions. This strategy might mitigate the documented unfavourable effects of marriage-related cultures on HIV/AIDS care. Therefore, this may stimulate decolonisation and re-Africanisation of HIV prevention and care policies and practises in the research environment.

Domestic Violence Againts Women Portrayed in Khaled Hosseini’s a Thousand Splendid Suns

Gender inequality and violence against women are critically discussed by scholars around the world. Set in Afghanistan, a country that still adheres to a patriarchal culture, Khaled Hosseini, in his novel A Thousand Splendid Suns, depicts how the two main female characters, Meriam and Laila, have to face domestic violence in their polygamous marriage with Rasheed. This research aims to show how domestic violence is portrayed in the novel A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini and how the novel challenges domestic violence through the two main female characters, Mariam and Laila. The research used a qualitative method by utilizing the gender studies approach. Specifically, it used gender-based violence and domestic violence concept by Ganley. The result of the research shows that the two main female characters had to face three forms of domestic violence such as physical violence, psychological violence, and sexual violence; and the two female characters fight against Rasheed’s behavior and they finally get different freedoms, both physically and psychologically. In conclusion, the two female characters in the novel tried to challenge the practice of domestic violence instead of silently confronting it like women are expected to do.