While polygamous marriages are not legally recognized under Malawi's civil marriage laws, customary law affords a generous amount of benefits to polygamous unions, ranging from inheritance rights to child custody. It has been estimated that nearly one in five women in Malawi live in polygamous relationships.[1]
In the 2000s, there were efforts to abolish the practice and legal recognition of polygamy; these were led mainly by anti-AIDS organizations and feminist groups. Islamic religious leaders opposed an effort in 2008 to outlaw polygamy.[2]