Monogamy versus Polygamy

Polygamy refers to the cultural practice of a man or a woman having several wives or husbands. It is common among African people and Muslims. On the other hand, monogamy refers to the cultural practice of marriage between a husband and a wife. It is common among Europeans, North Americans, South Americans, and Christians.

Globalization has led to the clash of different cultures sparking several debates. One significant debate concerns monogamy and polygamy and tries to identify which is better. I want to discuss faithfulness as a point rather than delve into the debate.
Colonization spread western culture in new continents such as the Americas, Africa, and Asia. These colonizers introduced new laws, religions, and practices into the new regions that they occupied. Adopting Christianity in several parts of Africa challenged the long-held practice of Polygamy in Africa. Many Christian denominations vouch for monogamy. However, many Africans, although Christians, still consider polygamy an acceptable cultural practice.
The West, like always, criticizes polygamy as one of the "backward" cultures of Africans. They have used feminism and gender studies to criticize polygamy as a form of sexual and economic exploitation and degradation of both women and men. I will focus on the sexual exploitation part and discuss it from a different point of view.
The West has promoted monogamy for a long time. However, my primary concern is the high divorce rates in monogamous marriages. Divorce rates in the US and Europe are very high, which may indicate that monogamous marriages do not form strong bonds between couples. Infidelity or unfaithfulness is a primary cause for the breakup of these marriages.

Many a time, we see Westerners touring our beaches here in Africa. They Indulge in promiscuous behavior with our young men and women that patrol our beaches as sex workers. A majority of these promiscuous westerners are married. This occurrence makes me wonder why Westerners engage in promiscuity far away from their homes, where their spouses are nowhere to supervise them. It could be that monogamous marriages do not satisfy their sexual desires.
Besides, feminists and gender activists should know that promiscuous men and women in monogamous marriages are the greatest abusers of both womanhood and manhood. Engaging in a sexual relationship with somebody and failing to fulfill your responsibility as a partner is the highest form of sexual exploitation. Married men who "sleep" with other women besides their wives exploit these other women sexually because they do not exercise social, emotional, and economic responsibilities towards these women. Similarly, married women who "sleep" with other men besides their husbands exploit these men sexually because they do not exercise social, economic, and emotional responsibilities towards these men. Extramarital affairs are illegal and thus prevent those who engage in them from supporting their sexual partners. The result is the sexual exploitation of extramarital affairs partners by married people. Therefore, monogamous setups insult both manhood and womanhood through infidelity.

Unlike monogamy, polygamy discourages the irresponsibility common in monogamous setups where men and women are exploited sexually by married people. Polygamous setups allow both men and women to marry the people they get attracted to after their previous marriage of unions. These marriages formalize and normalize relationships and enable males and females to fulfill all their responsibilities towards their newly acquired life partners. Therefore, women or men dating married people in polygamous setups are less likely to be sexually exploited because there are formal and recognized channels where they can get married to married people and have their already married partners fulfill all the duties that they have towards them.

This must be the main reason why Africans practice polygamy. Their societies discourage irresponsibility caused by infidelity, such as the sexual exploitation of men and women, which is common in monogamous setups.