As
Yemen
Yemen (; ar, ٱلْيَمَن, al-Yaman), officially the Republic of Yemen,, ) is a country in Western Asia. It is situated on the southern end of the Arabian Peninsula, and borders Saudi Arabia to the Saudi Arabia–Yemen border, north and ...
is a mostly-
Muslim nation,
polygamy
Crimes
Polygamy (from Late Greek (') "state of marriage to many spouses") is the practice of marriage, marrying multiple spouses. When a man is married to more than one wife at the same time, sociologists call this polygyny. When a woman is ...
is lawful. Polygamy is permissible in
Islam up to four wives, as long as the husband devotes equal attention to each of them.
In 1999, it was estimated that 7% of married women were in polygamous unions. By 2020, the percentage had fallen to 2%. Polygamy in Yemen is significantly less common than it is in the "polygamy belt", a predominantly Muslim area of Western and Central Africa where the practice is most common. Additionally, women living in rural areas or mountainous settings are more likely to contract a polygamous
marriage
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between ...
than women living in the coastal region or urban settings of the country. In the same fashion, it was reported that the majority of women living in polygamous unions tended to be less educated than those living in
monogamous marriages
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between ...
.
Polygamy in Yemen
References
{{Polygamous marriage
Marriage, unions and partnerships in Yemen
Yemen
Yemen (; ar, ٱلْيَمَن, al-Yaman), officially the Republic of Yemen,, ) is a country in Western Asia. It is situated on the southern end of the Arabian Peninsula, and borders Saudi Arabia to the Saudi Arabia–Yemen border, north and ...
Demographics of Yemen
Women's rights in Yemen