International Advocacy

Musawah strengthens Muslim women’s voices at the regional and international levels. We work to raise the visibility of initiatives that advocate for equality and justice in Muslim family laws and policies. A key strategy is engagement with the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), the CEDAW Committee, and NGOs involved in the CEDAW reporting process.

WHAT WE DO ON INTERNATIONAL ADVOCACY

Projects

PROGRAM

Explore our reports addressing women’s rights and gender equality under CEDAW and the Universal Periodic Review.

PROGRAM

Global Campaign for Equality in Family Law

View the Global Campaign site

PROGRAM

Other International Advocacy Engagements

RESOURCES

Resources on International Advocacy

Our resources on International Advocacy provide valuable insights into critical aspects of Islamic jurisprudence and family laws:

RESOURCES

Key Links

FOCUS AREAS

Advocacy for Muslim Women Rights

Introduce the Musawah Framework

Introduce the Musawah Framework to women’s human rights NGOs and activists who are involved in preparing CEDAW shadow reports and are engaging with CEDAW Committee members on key issues related to Islam and women’s rights in their countries.

Support national-level organisations and activists working on issues pertaining to Muslim women’s rights to engage with the CEDAW reporting process either through preparing independent or joint thematic reports on Article 16 (on Marriage and Family), preparing lobby interventions during their countries’ CEDAW Review, and strategising post-CEDAW initiatives to push for reform of discriminatory personal status laws and/or practices.

Engage with CEDAW Committee members on the Musawah Framework and submit thematic reports on Article 16 for reporting States Parties where shadow reports have not been submitted or where they are silent on Muslim family laws and practices.

Promote perspectives derived from the Musawah Framework and analyses to the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), United Nations treaty bodies and special mechanisms, and international, regional, and national NGOs involved in international advocacy.

Assess possibly entry points for advocacy in relation to regional and international bodies and mechanisms such as the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, Arab League, African Union, Universal Periodic Review, and different United Nations special mechanisms.

Explore our areas of work

Visit the Campaign for Justice site

Supporting the work of national advocates​

Facilitating and creating access to knowledge about women’s rights in Islam.

Strengthening our sense of community and common purpose with training and outreach calls for advocates.

Raising the visibility of our work and advocates' actions, and expanding public discourse.