n°32

Maps & FACTS

MAPS & facts March 2016
SAHEL
SAHELAND
WEST
AND
WESTAFRICA
AFRICA Club
Club
Secretariat
N
No. 45, November 2016
o 77, January 2019

POLYGAMY REMAINS COMMON AND MOSTLY LEGAL IN WEST AFRICA

Eight million pEoplE in northErn nigEria
facing acutE food insEcurity
October-December 2016 June-August 2017

Lake Lake
Sokoto Chad
Sokoto Chad

Cabo Verde Mauritania

Katsina Jigawa Yobe Katsina
Jigawa
Kebbi Zamfara Mali
Borno
Kebbi Zamfara
Yobe
Borno
Kano Niger Kano

Senegal Chad
Kaduna Bauchi Gombe Bauchi
Gambia Kaduna Gombe
Niger
Niger
Kwara
Burkina Faso
Adamawa Kwara Adamawa
Guinea- Plateau
FCT Guinea* Benin Plateau
Oyo
Bissau Nassarawa FCT
Nassarawa
Taraba Oyo
Ekiti
Kogi
Côte Togo Ekiti
Taraba
Osun
Sierra Benue d’Ivoire Ghana Osun
Nigeria
Kogi
Benue
Ogun Ondo
Edo Leone Ogun Ondo
Lagos Enugu Edo
Anambra Liberia
Ebonyi Lagos Enugu
Anambra
Ebonyi
Cross
Delta Imo Abia River Cross
Delta Imo Abia River
Legal status ofBayelsa
polygamy
Rivers Akwa
Akwa
Ibom
Bayelsa Rivers Ibom
Polygamous marriages prohibited by civil law but widespread in practice
PhasesPolygamous
of food insecurity
marriages recognised by civil law; option to choose between monogamy and polygamy, in some cases
Polygamous
Phase 1: Minimal marriages
Phase recognised
2: Stressed by customary
Phase 3: Crisislaw and/or religious
Phase 4: Phase 5: Famine
practices
Emergency Not analysed

*Guinea’s new
Source: Cadre civil code
harmonisé, legalises
national analysis,polygamy (final
October 2016. approval pending).
© Agrhymet/CILSS

Sources: Civil codes of Sahelian and West African countries, customary law and religious practices

T
P
he October 2016 analysis of the
olygamy
Cadre has
but remains
coverage
declined in1 the
harmonisé
common
to include forin West
last decade
expands
Africa.
the first
its
For
time
reached extremely high levels of food
to two women
insecurity
countries
humanitarian
(Mapsper couple.
have civil
& FactsSixnoWest
codes
access
44). African
is that
While
formally
improving,
is likely to get worse during the next
in parallel.
lean season
polygamy,
then,
While
the the
in civil law formally2017.
June-August
12 northern
Cadre harmonisé
prohibits
statesprojec-
By
that are
example,
16 out of 33%36of states,
women inalmost Nigeria reported
half of prohibit polygamy
the situation (Benin,particularly
remains Cabo Verde, governed
tions under Islamic
indicate that Sharia law recognise
the number of
that their husbands
Nigeria. In thesehave more than
states, some one wife
eight Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana,
worrisome in the Guinea
state and Nigeria)
of Borno, polygamous
severely foodmarriages.
insecure If the vote in
people on the
the
(Demographic
million peopleand Health Survey, 2013).
are currently This
facing but legalnearly
where restrictions
60% are rarely
of the enforced.
population newanalysed
16 civil codestates
is confirmed, Guinea8will
could reach to
very oldfood
acute practice is essentially
insecurity recognised
(phases 3-5, Other countries
(3.3 million such asare
people) Burkina
still Faso
facingor become
10 the latest
million African
people. country to legalise
Analytical tools,
under customary law and/or
October-December 2016). religious
Due to Togo
acuterecognise polygamous(phases
food insecurity unions under
3-5), polygamy
data (following
collection Kenyaand
methods in 2014). The
training
practices.
the BokoIn Haram
most Westinsurgency
African countries, and modern
includingcivil55
law,000
but people
allow couples or men
threatened legallocal
for status of a married woman
administrations need cantohelp
be
polygamy ispopulation
massive also recognised and regulated
displacement, (Chad, Mali and(phase
by famine Senegal)5).
to choose
If no between
appro- protect her
further and allowinher
developed access
order to certain
to fine-tune
by the three
the civil law that allows a man to
northeastern marry
states, apriate
monogamous
measures or are
polygamous union.the
being taken, In rights.
and However,
expand polygynous
the analysis of themarriage
Cadre
up to four women
Adamawa, Borno underand certain conditions,
Yobe, have some countries
current food and such nutrition
as Mauritania, a man
situation contravenesto
harmonisé a all
woman’s
parts right to equality
of Nigeria.
including the financial capacity to support is only allowed to marry a new woman with with men. Traditionally more prevalent in
multiple wivestooland
1 West African families.
to analyse In practice,
and identify areas anda the consent of his existing spouse/s. In rural areas, polygamy has also adapted to
polygamous
amount of peopleunion is food
at risk of in most casesinsecurity.
and nutrition limited Nigeria, multiple marital regimes operate the urban and educated environment.

This map
These mapsisarewithout
withoutprejudice
prejudice totothe
thestatus
status of sovereignty
of or or sovereignty overterritory,
over any any territory, to the delimitation
to the delimitation of international
of international frontiers and
frontiers and boundaries boundaries
and to the name of any
and to the name of any territory, city or area. We encourage the use of our maps. Please include the SWAC copyright, inform
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SAHEL
WEST
AND
SAHEL AND
AFRICA
WEST AFRICA Club
Club
Secretariat
Secretariat
 n°32
Maps
MAPS &&FACTS
facts Club Club March 2016
SAHEL AND
WEST AFRICA
DU SAHEL ET DE
L'AFRIQUE DE L'OUEST

N 45,janvier
Noo77, November
2019 2016

LA POLYGAMIE RESTE LARGEMENT RÉPANDUE

Eight million
ET LÉGALE pEoplE in
EN AFRIQUE DE northErn
L’OUEST nigEria
facing acutE food insEcurity
October-December 2016 June-August 2017

Lake Lake
Sokoto Chad
Sokoto Chad

CaboKebbi
Verde Mauritanie
Katsina Jigawa Yobe Katsina
Jigawa Yobe
Zamfara Borno
Kano Mali Kebbi Zamfara Borno
Kano
Niger
Sénégal
Kaduna Bauchi Gombe
Tchad
Kaduna Bauchi Gombe
Gambie
Niger
Kwara Adamawa Niger
Adamawa
Plateau
Burkina Faso Kwara

Guinée- FCT Plateau

Guinée*
Nassarawa Bénin FCT
Oyo Bissau Oyo
Nassarawa
Taraba
Taraba
Osun
Ekiti
Kogi Côte Togo Osun
Ekiti
Kogi

Ogun Ondo Sierra Benue

d’Ivoire Ghana Ogun Nigéria
Benue
Ondo
Lagos
Edo
Leone
Enugu
Ebonyi Lagos
Edo
Enugu
Anambra
Libéria
Cross
Anambra
Ebonyi

Delta Imo Abia River Cross

Delta Imo Abia River
Akwa
Statut légal de la polygamie Bayelsa Rivers Ibom
Bayelsa Rivers
Akwa
Ibom

Mariages polygames interdits par la loi civile mais répandus en pratique

PhasesMariages
of food insecurity
polygames reconnus par la loi civile ; choix entre options monogamie ou polygamie dans certains cas
Phase 1: Minimal Phase 2: Stressed Phase 3: Crisis Phase 4: Emergency Phase 5: Famine Not analysed
Mariages polygames reconnus par le droit coutumière et/ou pratiques religieuses
Source:
*Le Cadre harmonisé,
nouveau code civilnational
de laanalysis,
GuinéeOctober 2016.
légalise © Agrhymet/CILSS
la polygamie (en attente d’approbation définitive).

Sources : Codes civiles des pays sahéliens et ouest-africains, droit coutumier et pratiques religieuses

LT a polygamie
he October
dernières
Cadre années
Afrique
coverage
a diminué
harmonisé
de l’Ouest.
to include
au cours des
2016 analysis
mais reste
1

Par exemple,
expands
for the first 33 %time
dix
of the
courante en its
des
En pratique,
reached
dans
insecurity
par
une unionhigh
extremely
la plupart
(Maps
couple. Six pays
humanitarian
polygame
des& cas
Facts
levelsse
à deux
ouest-africains
access
oflimite
no 44).femmes
is improving,
food
While
ont
plusieurs
is likely to
vigueur
interdit
then, the
régimes
parallèlement.
lean season
la polygamie
matrimoniaux
get worse during the
La législation
in June-August
sont en
next
2017.civile
mais les douze
Cadre harmonisé
By
États
projec-
femmes
16 out of au 36Nigéria ont déclaré
states, almost que halfleurof des codes civils prohibant off
the situation remains particularly iciellement du nordindicate
tions qui sont gouvernés
that the selon
numberla charia
of
mari avaitInplus
Nigeria. these d’une femme
states, some (enquête
eight la polygamie in
worrisome (Bénin,
the Cabo
state Verde,
of Borno, Côte reconnaissent
severely foodles mariagespeople
insecure polygames. Si
in the
démographique
million peopleetare de santé,
currently 2013).facing
Cette d’Ivoire, Ghana, Guinée et Nigéria)
where nearly 60% of the population mais le
16vote du nouveau
analysed code
states civil est
could confirmé,
reach 8 to
pratique
acute food fort ancienne
insecurity est essentiellement
(phases 3-5, les
(3.3 restrictions
million people)légales
arenestill sont pas
facing la
10Guinée
milliondeviendra
people. le dernier pays africain
Analytical tools,
reconnue en vertu de droit
October-December coutumière
2016). Due et/ to véritablement appliquées.
acute food insecurity (phases 3-5), D’autres àdata
légaliser la polygamie
collection methods(après le Kenya
and training
ou
thepratiques
Boko Haram religieuses Dans la majorité
insurgency and pays comme55le000
including Burkina Fasothreatened
people ou le Togo en
for2014).
localLe statut juridique de
administrations needla femme
to be
des pays ouest-africains,
massive population displacement, la polygamie permettent
by famineau(phasecouple ou
5).à If
l’homme
no appro- (Mali, mariée
furtherpeut contribuer
developed à latoprotéger
in order fine-tune et
est
the également reconnue et encadrée
three northeastern states, Sénégal, Tchad) de choisir
priate measures selon taken,
are being le droit civil
the lui
and permettre
expand the d’accéder à certains
analysis droits.
of the Cadre
par la loi civile
Adamawa, Bornoqui autorise
and Yobe, un homme have moderne d’être and
current food monogame
nutritionou polygame.
situation Cependant,
harmoniséles tomariages
all partspolygames
of Nigeria. sapent
à épouser jusqu’à quatre femmes sous Plusieurs pays, comme la Mauritanie, l’égalité des droits entre les deux sexes.
certaines
1 West Africanconditions,
tool to analyse andnotamment
identify areas andla exigent le consentement des épouses Traditionnellement plus répandue en milieu
capacité financière
amount of people deandsubvenir
at risk of food aux
nutrition insecurity. existantes avant d’autoriser un homme à rural, la polygamie s’est également adaptée
besoins de plusieurs épouses et familles. se marier à une nouvelle femme. Au Nigéria, aux environnements urbains et éduqués.

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prejudice toduthestatut
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la souveraineté
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delimitation of ce dernier,frontiers
du tracéanddes frontières
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