Polygamy, family law, and the Crisis of Governance in Palestine.

Abstract

This study is based on interviews with Palestinian women who experienced polygamous marriages. An analysis of women’s narratives illuminates the impact of polygamy on both the contemporary Palestinian family and emerging modalities of governance. By tracing the interrelationships between marriage laws, gender inequalities, and the impact of statelessness and legal ambiguity on the family in Palestine, the research contributes to the ongoing debate about women’s rights and the reform of personal status laws in Palestine. This study analyses the psychology of Palestinian women in polygamous marriages, their feeling of despair and the coping strategies they have used within the guidelines of the societal context. This research also allows the voices of these women to be heard and their insights on the current personal status law that caused their suffering. The study discusses the pessimism of these women concerning any change on the institutional and the judicial levels.