From revenge to compromise: women’s strategies in the face of polygamy

Though polygamy is still prevalent in some southern parts of Iran, it is not considered the dominant culture and brings about challenges for women in local communities. The present study aimed to narrate such women’s experiences facing the phenomenon of polygamy. The study implemented a qualitative mythology, using Colaizzi’s descriptive phenomenology. In depth-interviews with 33 women living in polygamous families showed that they considered the tradition discriminatory and adopted three strategies to deal with it. The included strategies based on hostile vengeance against co-wives, strategies based on compensation to improve relationships and control circumstances, and strategies based on a compromise to maintain one’s personal interests and tranquility. The ultimate result of the study showed that the polygamous tradition faced serious challenges from women themselves. In other words, the women were no longer passive and obedient figures but resisted the discriminatory tradition by actively taking stances against it and making it a very costly undertaking for men.