Although this type of ritual may seem primitive to the modern western world, it is very advantageous to reproduction and favors evolution. Men are naturally promiscuous since their biology allows them to procreate many times in a short period while women can only procreate once every 9 months. The fact that a man in this culture is encouraged to have many wives gives this society an advantage in making sure there are many future generations. .
However, these types of gender roles lead to a very lopsided society in which men have all the power and women are subordinate. The woman cannot choose a mate. Instead, she is promised to a man who is likely to be 20 or more years older than her. Women tend to be disgusted my sex, as there is no interest in this society for the women to have any pleasure: "Mothers do not teach their daughters about sex, except with an aura of pain and disgust . The husband will have intercourse without foreplay or affection" (Potts 90). While these religious gender roles have stemmed from an evolutionary perspective, they have seemed to have gone so far that they may end up hurting the likelihood of reproduction. If a woman does not like sex, there is little motivation to engage in it. If there were ever a feminist movement in this society, it seems as though the passing along of genes will be a lot less likely.
Another religion that seems to encourage evolutionary gender roles in Islam. While this religion may seem to be a little more modern than that of the Tiwi Aborigines, it is still very fundamental in form. Like the Tiwi, Islam is also a polygnyous religion. Men will marry many young girls who have no say in the decision: "Polygygny frequently becomes an unbridled right of Muslim men, in some cases almost an obligation. Marrying girl children is defended and promoted as a man's right as a preventive of immorality. There is a growing lack of concern for the consent of the bride to marry" (Jung 25-26).