Jordan Times
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
Women activists urge
governments to amend personal status laws
By Rana Husseini
AMMAN — Participants at a regional conference for Arab women parliamentarians on
Monday urged their governments to place women’s issues, including family and
personal status laws, as one of their main priorities.
Some 200 experts and activists from around the world, who convened in Amman for
two days to debate laws concerning women, listed several other demands in a
statement termed as the Amman Declaration.
They urged their respective governments to draw up strategies to amend personal
status laws in their countries in a manner that would strengthen the position of
women and protect them and their families.
The participants called for strengthening collaboration between legislative and
administrative institutions, religious scholars and local organisations dealing
with women’s issues.
In their statement, which was made available to the press at the conclusion of
the symposium, the participants also called on the Arab League and the Arab
Women Organisation to draft an Arab charter for women’s rights.
In addition, they called for greater collaboration with media outlets to spread
awareness and strengthen women’s human rights, values and concepts, especially
those dealing with family laws.
The regional conference sought to provide a forum for women parliamentarians and
women in decision-making positions in the Arab region to debate issues relating
to the Personal Status Law and examine practical experiences adopted from Arab
countries
It also aimed at analysing the challenges facing Arab women parliamentarians
when deliberating legislation and suggesting means to emphasise their active
participation in the political processes.
Points of discussion focused on a woman’s right to choose her husband, marriage,
divorce, khuloe (women’s right to initiate divorce proceedings), alimony,
nationality laws, and women’s rights in education, work and mobility
Participants came from Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, Sudan,
Qatar, Kuwait, Palestine, Oman, Iraq, Bahrain, the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Jordan.
Delegates from the International Parliamentary Union, the Arab League and the
European Union also participated in the discussions.
The two-day symposium was organised by the United Nation Development Fund for
Women (UNIFEM), and held in collaboration with the Arab Parliamentary Union, the
League of Arab States and the Arab Women Organisation
The conference fell within the activities of the UNIFEM regional programme on
enhancing the role of Arab women parliamentarians.