Plural relationships, when consensual and gender-neutral, may actually help reduce gender inequality

In December, a Utah federal judge ruled that a state law prohibiting polygamy was unconstitutional. Mimi Schippers reflects on the ruling, arguing that plural relationships and cohabitation are not, in and of themselves, bad for gender equality. She writes the effects of polygamy on the status of women and children are variable, and that this variation hinges on who has access to multiple partners. Equal and consensual, access to multiple partners for both women and men can avoid male dominance through marriage.