Polygamy persists across Africa, to activists' dismay

KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) — Millions of women across sub-Saharan Africa are still living in the complex relationships of polygamy, a centuries-old practice that once was the norm among African men seeking large families to cultivate land.

Efforts to ban polygamy on the grounds that it shackles women haven't had much success — and Tanzania's leader encourages multiple wives to reduce the number of single women.

A panel of judges last month rejected a petition to have polygamy declared unconstitutional in Uganda. The organization that brought the challenge says it plans to file a new one on the grounds that the practice undermines women's dignity.

Activists say entrenched patriarchy that encourages practices such as polygamy is a major reason why the world's poorest continent now accounts for most of the growth in the global population.