It’s uncommon to hear of a lady who has more than one husband. A form of polygamy known as polyandry occurs when a woman simultaneously marries two or more men.
For instance, fraternal polyandry, in which two or more brothers are married to the same wife and the wife has equal “sexual access” to them, is a practice among Tibetans in Nepal, portions of China, and parts of northern India.
Below is a list of the five recognized nations that have tribes that practice polyandry.
1. Nigeria
There are tribes in Nigeria that permit polyandry, despite the practice being mostly uncommon there. The Irigwe people of Northern Nigeria have a custom of giving women multiple husbands, or “co-husbands.”
In Nigeria, the Irigwe people practiced co-marriage until their council decided to forbid it in 1968. Before then, women frequently changed residences and had many spouses; the children’s paternity was determined by the husband whose residence the lady was residing in at the time.
2. India
Numerous tribes practice polyandry throughout India. While polyandry is common among Paharis in some areas of North India, particularly in the Jaunsarbawar district, a minority of Kinnauri residents justify and engage in polyandry.
They feel obligated to uphold the custom since they are descended from the Pachi Pandavas (five brothers who married Draupadi, a woman who was the daughter of King Panchala), five brothers.
In addition to them, polyandry is also practiced by the Toda tribe of the Nilgris, the Najanad Vellala of Travancore, and several Nair caste systems in South India.
13% of the 753 Tibetan families surveyed by Tibet University in 1988 engaged in polyandry.
3. Kenya
Kenyans saw polyandry in August 2013 when two men decided to marry the same woman they both adored. Notably, polyandry is not expressly prohibited under Kenyan law, and those who engage in it are not subject to punishment. Additionally, there have been instances of polyandry among the Kenyan Massai people.
4. China
Fraternal polyandry is a frequent practice among the populations of Tibet, Nepal, parts of China, and India. Its foundation is the idea that a kid can have more than one father, and that when two or more brothers marry the same woman, they typically all have equal access to her sexily.
If the family is destitute and unable to distribute their property among the children of several fathers, the practice is encouraged. Therefore, they marry the same woman to maintain their large homes and little farmlands.
5. South America
Tribes in South America also engaged in polyandry; the Bororo did so, and up to 70% of Amazonian civilizations may have accepted the idea of multiple fatherhood.
Fraternal polyandry is another practiced by the Tupi-Kawahib.
