Intra-Cultural Issues on Polygamous Marriages in Ghana: A Case Study of the People of Anlo in the Volta Region.

Polygamous marriage is persistently prevalent in several sub-Saharan countries and remains a socio-cultural issue in the world. A considerable body of research has concluded that polygamy has impacts on children’s and wives’ psychological, social  and  family  functioning  but  not  much  was  done  on  this  in  Ghana.  From  a  case  study  of  the  people  of  Anlo  in  the Volta Region of Ghana, this study aimed to examine the socio-cultural issues on polygamous marriages among the people and  its  impact  on  the  family  especially on  women  and  children.    A  random  sample  of  61  respondents  from 61  different families  (31  senior  high  school  children  and  30  women)  were  used.  Structured  questionnaires  on  socio-demographics, socio-cultural  practices  of  polygamy,  family  relationship  qualities  and  four  psychosocial  scales  were  used  to  elicit responses  from  subjects  for  analysis.  The  results  indicated  high  prevalence  of  polygamy  in  the  study  area  with  inverse relationship  between  education  and  attitudinal  acceptance  of  polygamy.  The  study  concludes  that  polygamy affects family  quality;  creating  acrimony,  tension,  jealousy  and  competition  among  co-wives  and  step-siblings.  It  also  affects psychosocial life of the family members, predominantly in women and children. Targeted sensitization, awareness of the implications  of  polygamy,  educational  and  economic  empowerment  are  key  steps  to  address  this,  while focusing  on children as the potential key entry points to addressing this in the next generations.

Keywords:Polygamy, family, exogamy. Anlo, marriage