Download the first issue (October 2009) of Musawah Vision, the quarterly update on Musawah activities:   English    Arabic    French

The October issue contains the following:

I. Trends in Family Law:
Information about the following family law trends:

• New family laws passed with gains for women, but full implementation compromised as Islamist opposition and traditional ulama resist reform, with stories from Bahrain, Mali and Yemen
• Challenges to existing progressive laws, with stories from Tunisia and Syria
• Women's groups engaging with religious texts and religious leaders and Shari‘ah legal experts and religion to push for advances in family law, with stories from Bahrain and Nigeria
• Other family law developments, with stories from Uganda and Afghanistan

II. Building Our Knowledge
Information about knowledge-building projects in the following countries and regions:

• Malaysia – polygamy
• Morocco – implementing law reforms
• Maghreb – using marriage contracts to increase rights in marriage
• Kuwait – qiwamah and the constitution

III. Building Our Movement
Information about the Short Course on Understanding Islam from a Rights Perspective that was held from 3-16 August 2009 in Cyberjaya, Malaysia. The course was attended by 24 participants from 17 countries (Afghanistan, Bahrain, Egypt, The Gambia, Iran, Jordan, Kenya, Malaysia, Morocco, New Zealand, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Sudan and UK), with resource persons Professor Amina Wadud (United States), Dr. Nur Rofiah (Indonesia), Professor Khalid Masud (Pakistan), Professor Ziba Mir-Hosseini (Iran/United Kingdom) and Mr. Faqihuddin Abdul Kodir (Indonesia).

IV. News from the Musawah Regional Focal Points
Information about activities and events of Musawah advocates in various regions:

• Gulf Region (focal point: Bahrain Women's Union)
• Middle East and North Africa (focal point: Center for Egyptian Women's Legal Assistance)
• Horn of Africa (focal point: Musawah Sudan)
• Southeast, South and Central Asia (focal point: Alimat (Indonesia))
• Sub-Saharan Africa (focal point: Musawah Nigeria)

V. International Advocacy
Information about the statement and recommendations presented by Musawah at the 44th Session of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW Committee) during a Day of General Discussion on a proposed General Recommendation on the Economic Consequences of Marriage and its Dissolution.

VI. Musawah Secretariat
Information about members of the Musawah Secretariat team, highlights from the Musawah website, and an overview of the communications strategy meeting held by the new Musawah Communications Advisory Group from 18-20 October 2009.

Look for the next issue of Musawah Vision in early 2010!

Musawah's activities from 2007-2010 include:

1. Consultations and support for organisations and activists at the national, regional and international levels to build the initiative and its analysis.

2. Development of tools and materials that can be used in advocacy efforts, including:

• A Framework for Action on equality and justice in the Muslim family;
• Theoretical background papers on topics relating to Shari'ah, human rights and the historical, sociological and political contexts behind Muslim family laws and practices;
• Compilation of information from the national level about why equality and justice in the family are necessary and possible; and
• A resource kit on family laws that provides religious, human rights, legal and social arguments for reform.

3. Discussions among local, national and regional groups on equality and justice in the Muslim family in their countries and communities. The main objectives are to:

• Ensure that Musawah is rooted in and responding to the needs of national movements and developments; and
• Share information about family laws across networks, organisations and individuals at the national and regional levels.

4. Development of a website that contains documentation on Muslim family laws, initiatives for reform, conceptual and research papers and other materials helpful in the push for the promotion and protection of rights within a framework of equality and justice.

5. Media outreach at the international, regional and national levels to help publicise the ideas behind Musawah and provide support for national-level advocacy.

6. A Global Meeting in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, from 13-17 February 2009 to:

• Introduce the movement, its principles, process, objectives, resources, tools and Framework for Action;
• Empower women's groups, activists and practitioners through the sharing of knowledge and experiences;
• Build support and alliances; and
• Agree on the way forward for Musawah.

Download the Global Meeting Summary of Proceedings here:   English   Arabic   Français

7. Networking at the international level to connect with regional and international networks and share information, ideas and frameworks with international bodies and mechanisms such as United Nations treaty bodies and special rapporteurs. In August 2009, Musawah presented a statement to the CEDAW Committee on the proposed CEDAW General Recommendation on the economic consequences of marriage and its dissolution.

24-26 February 2010
International Advisory Group meeting
London, United Kingdom

Late January 2010
Participation in the 45th CEDAW Session
Geneva, Switzerland

13-15 January 2010
Seminar and a three-day training on 'Muslim Family Law: A Women's Rights Perspective'
In cooperation with the Networking for Women's Rights Organizations in Egypt (NWRO) network
Cairo, Egypt

6-7 January 2010
Meeting of the Qiwamah Working Group
Cairo, Egypt

18-20 October 2009
Communications Advisory Group meeting
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

3-16 August 2009
Short Course on Understanding Islam from a Rights Perspective
In collaboration with Sisters in Islam (Malaysia)
Cyberjaya, Malaysia

4 August 2009
Statement at the CEDAW Committee public meeting on the Economic Consequences of Marriage and its Dissolution
New York, United States

7-9 June 2009
Planning Committee meeting
London, United Kingdom

13-17 February 2009
Musawah Global Meeting
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Download the Summary of Proceedings:   English   Arabic   Français

21-23 August 2008
Planning Committee meeting
London, United Kingdom

9-10 December 2007
Planning Committee meeting
Cairo, Egypt

6-8 December 2007
Conceptual Meeting to develop the Musawah Framework for Action
Cairo, Egypt

10-11 March 2007
Planning Committee meeting
Istanbul, Turkey

In addition to these international events, national consultations and meetings specifically related to Musawah have occurred in Afghanistan, the Gambia, Indonesia, Kenya, Malaysia, Morocco, Nigeria, Singapore, and Sudan.