In October 2017 – Musawah and Abolish Article 153, submitted a Joint Thematic Report on Article 16 for Kuwait, to the CEDAW Committee for review at its 68th Session in Geneva, Switzerland. The report examines Kuwaiti Personal Status Act (KPSA) that enforces discrimination against women in the following areas: equality in marriage, women’s consent and capacity to enter into marriage, child and early marriage, polygamy and divorce rights. The report also specifically highlights issues of gender-based violence in the context of family and discriminatory legal provisions, including Article 153 of the Kuwaiti Penal Code, which effectively gives men regulatory power over their female kin. Additionally the report contains sections on positive developments in Muslim family laws, with examples of good and better practices from other Muslim contexts, based on Musawah’s research and comparative analysis of family laws and practices in 31 countries.
This is the Joint Oral Statement delivered at the 68th Session of the CEDAW Committee.
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