WCLAC and Human Rights Watch oral statement to the CEDAW Committee on the State of Palestine’s Report, 70th session

Thank you, Madam Chair. For this statement, I speak on behalf of the Women’s Centre for Legal Aid and Counselling and Human Rights Watch. Palestine acceded to CEDAW without any reservations, but the current personal status laws that apply to both Muslims and Christians in the West Bank and Gaza include de-facto and de-jure discrimination against women in marriage, divorce, child custody and guardianship, child marriage, women’s financial rights after divorce, and inheritance. For instance, under Islamic personal status laws, polygamy for men is permitted, while women cannot marry without a male…

© Human Rights Watch - lundi 9 juillet 2018