The polygamy debate is gaining momentum in Canada — but for all the wrong reasons.
Last month, the federal government asked Status of Women Canada to begin research into the social and legal implications of polygamy — the practice of marrying more than one spouse — here in Canada.
According to Justice Minister Irwin Cotler, the study is being conducted at the request of British Columbia in response to complaints about reported polygamous practices in the fundamentalist Mormon community of Bountiful, B.C.
Fearmongerers such as Conservative Party Leader Stephen Harper jumped on the announcement.
The legalization of polygamy, Harper said last month, could be a natural next step if same-sex marriage is approved.
The comparison is almost laughable, if it weren’t such an obvious — and possibly successful — attempt by Harper to drum up last-minute support for the traditional definition of marriage, which is currently being challenged by Bill C-38’s same-sex marriage legislation.
What Harper is conveniently forgetting is that the legalization of same-sex marriage is about protecting human rights — the right of men and women across Canada to marry the person, not persons, of their choice.
The addition of any pluralities into that equation — something that the legalization of polygamy would likely call for — is a complex issue that requires debate in and of itself, and could never slip through on the tail end of same-sex marriage legislation, as Harper so ignorantly suggests.
Unlike same-sex marriage, polygamy brings up real questions of women’s oppression.
Around the world, men with multiple wives far outnumber women who practice polyandry, the marriage of a woman to multiple men. The practice of having multiple spouses has a far greater impact on women.
Reports of polygamy happening right here in Canada means an investigation into the issue is rightly justified.
But judgments shouldn’t be made lightly — even feminists are split on the practice. Some, in fact, argue it could actually benefit women.
Polygamy gives women more freedom of choice, supporters argue, giving them more opportunities to pursue their own interests. Sharing a husband with other wives can allow women to further their education or careers without taking on a disproportionate amount of the domestic and childcare responsibilities, as women often do, or weathering the high cost of child care.
But not all feminists agree.
Polygamy’s potential for oppressing women is great. Polygamy often involves the concept of “possession” of women, and many women are forced into multiple marriages without their consent. Even in B.C., there have been reports of girls as young as 14 and 15 “marrying” men who are 10 to 30 years older.
There are other issues often associated with polygamy — including child abuse, physical abuse, human trafficking and welfare fraud — that require informed, in-depth research into their connections, if any, to the practice of polygamy.
Clearly, the issue of polygamy cannot be as flippantly tossed about as Harper did last month.
The official Opposition needs to stop instilling fear in the Canadian public and look at the facts — polygamy is a complex issue that is debatable in its own right. Lumping it into the same category as the same-sex debate is not only ignorant, but insulting to every gay rights advocate who has worked so hard for the legal recognition of a new definition of marriage that would protect — not potentially threaten — human rights in Canada.