[law] general

Dossier 18: Legal Aid, New Laws & Violence Against Women In Sudan

Introduction

This paper will address the issue of violence against women in Sudanese laws. Since 1989 the current government of Sudan enforced legislation and procedures based on Islamic principles.

Dossier 14-15: More Crumbs for Women?

Farida Rahman MP’s Private Member’s Bill on a proposed amendment to section V1 of the Muslim Family Laws Ordinance 1961 has become a much-talked-about subject because of its unconventional and contentious nature. Particularly, various women’s activist groups have shown tremendous interest in it. The subject of the bill raises the whole issue of women’s rights of general interests.

Dossier 4: Law for Muslim Women in Bangladesh

The legal status of the Muslim women (1) in Bangladesh is defined by the principles of Sharia through Muslim Personal Law along with the general law which is non-religious and secular in its character. The Muslim personal law covers the field of marriage, divorce, maintenance, guardianship of children and inheritance whereas the general law covers the rights under the Constitution, penal codes, the civil and criminal procedure codes, evidence act etc.

Dossier 5-6: Bound and Gagged by the Family Code

A ‘Family Code’ law has been introduced which removes many of women’s basic human rights. She also speaks about contraception, the problem of abandoned children and the consequences for women of the insistence on virginity at marriage.

Marie Aimée: I would like to start with this new law, which is known in Algeria under the name “Family Code”, (not the name of it, that is “Law on Personal Status”) a title which is also used in Tunisia and Morocco.

Pakistan/UK: Judicial conference on child contact, abduction and forced marriage cases

The Chief Justice of Pakistan, The Hon Mr Justice Sh. Riaz Ahmad, with senior members of the Pakistani judiciary took part in a judicial conference with UK Judges to discuss best practice on handling child contact, child abduction & forced marriage cases.

Dossier 3: How far are penal laws effective in protecting women

Introduction

The legal code of a nation ordinarily reflects, or should reflect, the values of the society that form that nation. It depicts the influence of its past history and its future aspirations or, at least, the aspirations of those in control. The structure, mode, content and intent of the code indicate the ethical concepts peculiar to that nation. All penal codes have ostensibly the same aims - to punish the offender, to prevent crime and to preserve the peace.

Dossier 3: Support our campaign for one law for all women

Dear Sisters,

Kuwait: Women see few gains in Kuwait democracy

When Kuwait's emir decreed women should have the vote, the freewheeling Parliament -- a rare symbol of democratic ideals in the Persian Gulf -- used its constitutional powers to overrule him.

Iran: Clerics broaden women's right to divorce

Iran’s Guardian Council, a hard-line conservative force in Iran, recently approved a bill broadening women’s divorce rights—a right that has been severely limited since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Iran: Move to give Iranian women divorce rights

Iran's reformist-controled Majlis, or parliament, has adopted a proposal expanding women's rights regarding divorce less than two months after winning a protracted battle with conservatives over a more limited reform.