Economic resources distribution and women welfare in polygynous muslim families in Likoni Sub-county, Mombasa County, Kenya

Abstract

The Muslim community embraces polygyny as a form of marriage because it is allowed by the Islamic religion. As a result, polygyny is rampant among the Muslim community in Kenya. While the Islamic religion allows men to marry up to four wives, the impact of this on the welfare of the women has not been studied. This study sought to assess the influence of polygyny on distribution of economic resources to wives in the families. The specific objectives of the study were to examine the distribution of economic resources; analyse the living standard of women, and investigate the psychological welfare of women in polygynous Muslim families in Likoni Sub-County. This is important in understanding gender equality in polygynous marriages. The study utilized data that was collected through a survey with wives in polygynous Muslim families and interviews with Muslim religious leaders in the study area. Clustered and snowball sampling techniques were used to select the sample of polygynous families. The population was subdivided into four clusters in line with the four wards in Likoni and 10 polygynous families selected from each ward using the snowball sampling technique to form a total sample of 40 families. Data was collected from wives in these families using semi-structured questionnaires. One Muslim religious leader was selected purposively from each of the four clusters for interviewing purposes. Analysis of the data using the Cronbach alpha method showed that the questionnaire was reliable with an alpha value of 0.729. Descriptive statistics was used to analyse the survey data and the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software was used to perform the analysis. The thematic content analysis technique was used to analyse the interview data. Results showed that more than 50% of women in polygynous Muslim families are subjected to unfair distribution of economic resources. Results also showed that women in polygynous union suffer from psychological challenges such as loss of self-esteem and anxiety due to financial difficulties, conflicts with other wives, and reduced intimacy with husbands. Based on these findings, the study recommends that policymakers strengthen policy that gives women equal rights to own property. Programmes that encourage women participation in economic activities and interventions for addressing the psychological challenges of the women are necessary.