CONTECTUAL DETERMINANTS OF POLYGYNY IN VANDEIKYA LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF BENUE STATE

Polygyny is a practice where a man takes more than one woman to form a union. It could be in a formal or informal way. In Benue state, despite the efforts of both formal and informal restrictions on polygyny by the government, church, individual members of the society, the practice is still on the rise. This study examined the factors influencing polygyny in Vandeikya Local Government Area of Benue state. The specific objectives were to examine the cultural, social, economic, individual, and educational factors influencing polygyny in Vandeikya Local Government Area of Benue state. The study adopted a cross-sectional survey research design. The population of the study was men and women who are in polygynous marriages. A sample size of 422 respondents was selected for the study. Cluster and purposive sampling techniques were adopted to select respondents for the study. Data was collected using structured interview and key informant interview guide. Data were analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively. The findings of the study revealed that, cultural, social, economic, individual, and educational factors influenced polygyny in the study area. The study recommended among other issues that cultural sensitivity training programs to raise awareness and respect for the traditional beliefs and practices surrounding polygyny in the community and the development of social support programs that address the social pressures and expectations related to polygyny is important.