G7 leaders told to scrap discriminatory gender laws from statute books

Posted on August 25, 2019 by Admin

Gender equality advisory council says states must begin enshrining equal rights in law

The G7 leaders have been told to get rid of discriminatory gender laws that still exist on their statute books and begin enshrining equal rights in the legal system.

All G7 countries, including the UK, still have discriminatory laws on their statute books or substantial loopholes that allow discrimination, the G7’s gender equality advisory council said at a key summit session attended by all leaders, including the US president, Donald Trump.

Senior Islamic cleric issues fatwa against child marriage

Posted on June 21, 2019 by Admin

Deputy grand imam of al-Azhar calls for marriage based on mutual consent with minimum age set at 18

One of the world’s most prestigious centres of Islamic learning has issued a fatwa against child marriage, saying marriage should be based on the consent of both parties and “particularly the young woman”.

The deputy grand imam of al-Azhar, considered by some Muslims to be the highest authority of Islamic jurisprudence, hammered out the document with his team and young activists at the first African summit on child marriage and female genital mutilation, which took place in Senegal this week.

It’s not just girls – one in 30 young men were married as children

Posted on June 7, 2019 by Admin

Central African Republic has the highest rate of boy grooms, followed by Nicaragua, Madagascar, Nauru and Honduras

One in 30 young men were married as children, according to the first UN analysis of child marriage rates among boys.

Around 115 million boys and men around the world were married before they turned 18, according to Unicef, which warned the issue is often overlooked.

Child marriage in Niger is a cultural issue, not an Islamic one

Posted on March 8, 2019 by Admin

A visit to the world’s fifth poorest country has shown me that battling early and forced marriage begins with communities

Islam, for me, is a way of life and the core of my world. As a Muslim woman I have always been encouraged to be who I want to be.

I get frustrated when people say: “Why do you wear a hijab? Isn’t that a sign of women’s oppression?” I choose to wear a hijab; I choose to be an educated and liberated woman and I choose to follow Islam.