Polygamous unions are legally recognized in the Gambia and have been said to be very prevalent. They are frequently considered by the older generations of Gambian men as an indicator of prosperity.[1][2]

In 1795, Mungo Park observed that "every man of free condition has a plurality of wives". He noted that it is necessary for each wife to be accommodated in their own hut.[3]

Adama Barrow, the current president of the Gambia, has two wives.[4] His predecessor, Yahya Jammeh, had two wives at one point in time, but divorced his third wife under pressure from his second wife (whom he had married after divorcing his first wife).[5]

References

  1. ^ "Polygamy in Gambia". accessgambia.com. Retrieved 7 February 2017.
  2. ^ AFROL Gender Profiles: The Gambia, Archived 28 March 2008
  3. ^ Park, Mungo (2002). Travels in the Interior of Africa. London: Wordsworth Classics. p. 19.
  4. ^ Bolashodun, Oluwatobi (January 2017). "Meet the look-alike wives of new Gambian President Adama Barrow". Naij.com. Retrieved 5 March 2017.
  5. ^ "Yahya Jammeh Wife: Who Is Married To The Gambian President". Morning Ledger. 16 December 2016. Retrieved 18 January 2017.
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