Musawah is a global movement for equality and justice in the Muslim family, calling for equality, non-discrimination, justice and dignity as the basis of all human relations; full and equal citizenship for every individual; and marriage and family relations based on principles of equality and justice, with men and women sharing equal rights and responsibilities.Read the Musawah Framework for Action
Musawah declares that equality in the family is necessary because many aspects of our family laws are neither tenable in contemporary circumstances nor defensible on Islamic grounds. Not only do they fail to fulfil the Shari‘ah requirement of justice, they also do not respond to the lives and experiences of Muslim families and are now being used to deny women and men dignified choices in life. Even laws that are more equitable are under threat. More
Musawah declares that equality in the family is possible through a framework that is consistent with Islamic teachings, universal human rights principles, fundamental rights guarantees, and the lived realities of women and men. Muslim laws and practices must reflect justice, which is the indisputable objective of the Shari‘ah. They must also uphold equality, which is an essential part of today’s understanding of justice. Today’s Muslim family laws are human interpretations of the Shari‘ah. Therefore, they can change in accordance with the changing realities of time and place. More
Wanted: Equality and Justice in the Muslim Family brings together analysis from a broad range of disciplines to support rights-based reform of Muslim family laws and the protection of existing rights.
New article on large-scale polygamy study in Malaysia.Stress, quarrels and neglect: the 'normal' polygamous family, by Norani Othamn and Masjaliza Hamzah for the openDemocracy.net 50/50 project, discusses large-scale study on polygamy with data from about 1,500 qualitative and quantitative questionnaires from across all 12 states of peninsular Malaysia, along with dozens of in-depth interviews. The study 'uncovers proof that polygamy harms everyone involved: from emotionally scarred children, to wives who think they'd be better off as single-parent households, and even husbands who admit "I wouldn't recommend it for my son; it's quite stressful"'. Read about it here.
Read the first issue of Musawah Vision, the quarterly update on Musawah issues and activities, in English, Arabic, or French. For more about Musawah Vision, visit the Activities / Events page of this site.
Musawah presents a statement to the CEDAW Committee. On 4 August 2009, Musawah spoke at the CEDAW Committee's public meeting on a proposed CEDAW General Recommendation on the economic consequences of marriage and divorce. Read the statement.
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Musawah's Framework for Action guides the work of the movement and declares why and how equality and justice in the family are necessary and possible. PDF versions of the Framework are available in English, French, Arabic, Persian and Malay.
Musawah was launched at a Global Meeting in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Approximately 250 scholars and activists from 47 countries gathered in Kuala Lumpur for the February 13-17 meeting. See the 'Stories from the 2009 Global Meeting' section of the Press Room for photos and summaries of various sessions at the meeting. See the Press Coverage section for links to stories in the media.
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Musawah's 