In polygamous relationships, the concept of “giliran”, where the wives each take their turn in having exclusive time with the husband, is often practiced and forwarded as a measure of ’just treatment’ by the husband. This presentation explores this issue within the context of turn-taking in polygamous marriages.

“Giliran” will be explored through the perspectives of husbands and wives, in terms of how they understand this practice, the processes of negotiation in coming to agreements about “giliran” and to what extent they adhere to agreements about “giliran”.

The presentation will examine the living arrangement of polygamous families and the husbands’ perspective on demands on their time compared to money, communication and love.

EVENT DETAILS

Date: Thursday, June 20

Time: 7.30pm

Venue: AWARE Centre

Speaker: Shanthi Thambiah (Ph.D)

Register for this event here. 

About The Speaker:
Shanthi Thambiah (Ph.D) is Associate Professor and is a lecturer at the Gender Studies Programme, University of Malaya. She obtained her Phd in 1995 from the University of Hull and her M. Phil from the University of Cambridge in 1989. Her areas of specialization are social anthropology and gender studies. She has conducted research and published widely on cultural change and changing gender relations in indigenous communities in Sarawak and amongst the Orang Asli in Peninsula Malaysia. Her current research interests are in the area of gender, family and work and in gender and public policies. From April to July 2013 she is attached to the Asia Research Institute, National University of Singapore as a Senior Research Fellow researching on the topic “Questioning the Normative through Migration: Muslim Female Migrant Workers’ in Malaysia Reflecting on Men as Providers and Protectors of Women”.