WUNRN
U.N.
Calls on Saudi Arabia to End Practice of Polygamy
February 1, 2008
GENEVA: Saudi Arabia should end the
practice of polygamy because it runs counter to the principle of equality
between the sexes, a U.N. committee on women's rights said Friday.
The nonbinding
recommendation was made in a nine-page report by the U.N. Committee on the
Elimination of Discrimination against Women, which last month invited Saudi
officials to discuss the kingdom's compliance with a U.N. charter on women's
rights that the country ratified in 2000.
The committee also
said the kingdom should introduce a minimum age of marriage, end the custom of
male guardianship for women and take steps to eliminate violence against
females.
The situation of
women in Saudi Arabia came under renewed international scrutiny last year when
a rape victim was sentenced to lashes and jail time for being in a car with a
man who was not her relative. The woman was later pardoned by Saudi's King
Abdullah.
Saudi Arabia's
strict interpretation of Islamic law gives men and women different rights with
respect to education, marriage and participation in public life.
Not
all of the restrictions are based on formal laws, but customs such as the
prohibition on women driving are nevertheless widespread for cultural reasons.
Saudi officials
told the committee last month that the kingdom was taking measures to address
numerous issues, from domestic violence to promoting education and job
opportunities for women.
But the officials
said the country would not be able to adhere to a number of aspects of the U.N.
charter because they run contrary to Islamic Sharia law, which is the basis of
all legislation in the country.
Under Sharia law,
men are permitted to have up to four wives, and gay relationships are
forbidden.
The U.N. panel
said Saudi Arabia should clarify whether it accepts that international law
takes precedence over domestic legislation, and ensure that the protection of
women is firmly enshrined in the country's constitution and everyday court
decisions.
The U.N. special
investigator for violence against women, Yakin Erturk, is due to visit the
kingdom from Feb. 4-13 to gather information about violence against women in
the country.
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