UN cites opposition to polygamy in response to Kenya Bill

The National Assembly in session. A United Nations spokesman responded on Tuesday to the Kenyan Parliament's recent approval of a polygamy Bill by citing a UN group's call for prohibition of polygamous marriage. PHOTO | FILE  

New York/United Nations

A United Nations spokesman responded on Tuesday to the Kenyan Parliament's recent approval of a polygamy Bill by citing a UN group's call for prohibition of polygamous marriage.

Farhan Haq, a spokesman for Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, did not respond specifically to a question from the Nation regarding the Kenya legislation.

(Read: Parliament passage of Marriage Bill elicits mixed reactions)

But he did say that a recommendation by the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women “represents our position on the matter of polygamy.”

The committee states that “polygamous marriage contravenes a woman’s right to equality with men, and can have such serious emotional and financial consequences for her and her dependents that such marriages ought to be discouraged and prohibited.”

(Read: Marriage Bill is more than marrying many wives)

Because of its concern for “the grave ramifications of polygamy for women’s human rights,” the committee adds that it “has consistently called for its abolition.”

But the panel acknowledges that polygamy continues to exist in many countries that are parties to the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women.

“Accordingly,” the committee declares, “with regard to women in existing polygamous marriages, states parties should take the necessary measures to ensure the protection of their economic rights.”