On the 15th of July, the National Commission for Women (NCW) held a deliberation to discuss the rights of Muslim women. The particular focus of the discussion was to review the Muslim Personal Law.
The panel said that the “non-codified” nature of the Muslim personal law has led to misinterpretation and posed significant challenges for Muslim women.
After the discussion, the Women’s Commission issued a statement highlighting the key aspects of the discussion and its prominent attendees. According to the statement, the panel noted that there was an unequivocal need for the codification of Muslim Personal Law. Additionally, it argued that there is a need to revisit the marriage and divorce law and guardianship law.
During the discussions, the panel stated that the lack of a Uniform Civil Code has perpetuated inequalities within our diverse nation.
It stated, “The discussion also emphasised that the absence of a Uniform Civil Code has perpetuated inequalities and inconsistencies in our diverse nation, hindering progress towards social harmony, economic growth, and gender justice.”
The absence of Uniform Civil Code has perpetuated inequalities and inconsistencies in our diverse nation. It hinders progress towards social harmony, economic growth, and gender justice. In India, the Muslim community follows Muslim personal law, which being non-codified, is… pic.twitter.com/3Wdz8ISx6t
— NCW (@NCWIndia) July 15, 2023
NCW Chairperson Rekha Sharma said that the nation needs to draft a legal framework to provide equal rights for all irrespective of their religious belief.
She said, “In our pursuit of equality, let’s reflect: if a law cannot serve the rights of Hindu, Christian, Sikh, and Buddhist women, can we truly say it is just for Muslim women? The need for codified laws is urgent. We need to work towards a legal framework that ensures equal rights for all, regardless of religion.”
The NCW Chairperson during Final consultation on Rights of Muslim Women -Reviewing Muslim Personal Law said @sharmarekha said-
— NCW (@NCWIndia) July 15, 2023
"In our pursuit of equality, let's reflect: if a law cannot serve the rights of Hindu, Christian, Sikh, and Buddhist women, can we truly say it is just… pic.twitter.com/Y4HrakNkTk
Prominent participants in the discussions comprised notable figures such as Attorney General R Venkataramani, senior law officers, vice chancellors of law universities, legal experts, and civil society organizations.
According to the statement, Attorney General Venkataramani stressed that there is a need to reform and strengthen the institution of marriage. Further, the Attorney General emphasised the significance of granting equal respect and status to both men and women. Moreover, he emphasised the necessity for fairness in the processes that preserve the dignity of individuals involved in entering and exiting marital relationships, irrespective of their religion.
The consultations were held in the background of the ongoing debate on the Uniform Civil Code (UCC). Notably, the Law Commission issued a notification on the 14th of June, seeking responses from various organisations and the public in relation to UCC within one month.
A day earlier, on the 14th of July, the Law Commission of India extended the last date to submit views on ideas on the proposed UCC by two more weeks. Now, any interested individual, institution, or organisation may furnish their comments on the issue of the Uniform Civil Code till the 28th of July, 2023.
