General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: The gay marriage decision has put us in uncharted waters with regard to polygamy [View all]Wella
(1,827 posts)When the feminist movement began in the 19th century, women lost their property when they married, they had no right to vote, and couldn't stay overnight in a hotel in Britain--even if they were there for an abolitionist conference (which is what happened to Elizabeth Cady Stanton). They would lose their children if they left the home, which is why they stayed, sometimes in dire conditions. Women in monogamous cultures were beaten by husbands, and domestic violence is still a problem.
So, one might argue that the underlying views of women and their treatment by men are separate from the martial practices of a culture.
In a culture like the US where the rights of women are more advanced, polymarriages might not end up with the kinds of abuses one finds in Saudi Arabia for example.