WUNRN
WHAT
IS WOMEN LIVING UNDER MUSLIM LAWS?
Women Living Under Muslim Laws is
an international solidarity network that provides information, support and a
collective space for women whose lives are shaped, conditioned or governed by
laws and customs said to derive from Islam.
For more than two decades WLUML has linked individual women and organisations.
It now extends to more than 70 countries ranging from
Our name challenges the myth of
one, homogenous ‘Muslim world’. This deliberately created myth fails to reflect
that: a) laws said to be Muslim vary from one context to another and, b) the
laws that determine our lives are from diverse sources: religious, customary,
colonial and secular. We are governed simultaneously by many different laws:
laws recognised by the state (codified and uncodified) and informal laws such
as customary practices which vary according to the cultural, social and
political context.
For an in-depth piece
on the origins of WLUML, please read 'Heart and Soul' by founder, Marieme
Helie-Lucas: http://www.wluml.org/sites/wluml.org/files/Heart and
Soul_Marieme Helie-Lucas.pdf
HOW DID WLUML START?
WLUML was formed in 1984 in response to three cases in Muslim countries and
communities in which women were being denied rights by reference to laws said
to be ‘Muslim’ requiring urgent action. Nine women from
WHAT ARE WLUML’S AIMS
AND FOCUS?
The network aims to strengthen women’s individual and collective struggles for
equality and their rights, especially in Muslim contexts. It achieves this by:
WLUML’s current focus is on the
critical issues identified as our priorities for collective analysis and
action:
As a theme, violence against women
cuts across all of WLUML’s projects and activities.
HOW IS WLUML
ORGANISED?
WLUML’s open structure has been
designed to maximize participation of diverse and autonomous groups and
individuals as well as collective decision-making. WLUML does not have formal
membership and networkers are a fluid group of individuals and organisations
who maintain regular two-way contact with the network.
WLUML distinguishes between
networkers and active networkers. A networker can be either an organization or
individual that/who:
• Subscribes to WLUML’s principles
and values and puts these into practice in their own context;
• Receives and engages with WLUML information; and
• Engages in two-way communication with WLUML Council members, Coordination
Offices or sub-committees
An active networker/networking
group, in addition furthers the work and vision of the network under the
umbrella of WLUML by:
• Contributing/participating in
WLUML initiatives - e.g. collective projects, solidarity work;
• Engaging in a consistent two-way interaction over a period of time with WLUML
Council members, Coordination Offices or sub-committees that are undertaking
on-going WLUML collective projects/activities;
• Taking responsibility for some aspect of WLUML’s work; and
• Being involved at the decision-making level, for example in the
identification of critical issues.
The WLUML Council comprises 20-30
people involved in aspects of cross-regional networking within WLUML for a
significant period of time. They take primary responsibility for developing and
implementing the Plans of Action.
The International Coordination
Office (ICO) has primary responsibility for facilitating coordination between
networkers. Regional Coordination Offices are currently based in
WHAT ARE WLUML’S
PRINCIPLES?
WLUML focuses on laws and customs
and the concrete realities of women’s lives. This includes the often diverse
practices and laws classified as ‘Muslim’ (resulting from different interpretations
of religious texts and/or the political use of religion) and the effects these
have on women, rather than on the religion of Islam itself.
The network consciously builds
bridges across identities - within our contexts and internationally. We are especially
concerned about marginalized women. This includes non-Muslims in Muslim
majority states, especially where spaces for religious minorities is rapidly
dwindling; Muslim minorities facing discrimination, oppression, or racism;
women whose assertions of sexuality – including but not limited to sexual
orientation - are either criminalized or are socially unacceptable.
WLUML recognises that women’s
struggles are interconnected and complementary, and therefore has a commitment
to international solidarity.
WLUML actively endorses plurality
and autonomy, and consciously reflects, recognises and values a diversity of
opinions. Individuals and groups linked through the network define their own
particular priorities and strategies according to their context.
The personal has always played an
important part in the work of WLUML, which values the solidarity and active
support that the networkers extend to each other by way of personal links.
WHAT DOES WLUML DO?
Solidarity & Alerts
WLUML responds to, circulates and
initiates international alerts for action and campaigns as requested by
networking groups and allies. WLUML also provides concrete support for
individual women in the form of information on their legal rights, assistance
with asylum applications, and links with relevant support institutions,
psychological support, etc.
Networking &
Information Services
WLUML puts women in direct contact
with each other to facilitate a non-hierarchical exchange of information,
expertise, strategies and experience. Networking also involves documenting
trends, proactively circulating information among networkers and allies,
generating new analysis, and supporting networkers’ participation in exchanges
and international events. While WLUML prioritises the needs of networkers, it
also selectively responds to requests for information from, for example,
academics, activists, the media, international agencies and government
institutions.
WLUML consciously builds the
capacity of networking groups through internships at the coordination offices,
and exchanges, trainings and workshops.
Publications and Media
WLUML collects, analyses and
circulates information regarding women’s diverse experiences and strategies in
Muslim contexts using a variety of media. It translates information into and
from French, Arabic and English wherever possible. Networking groups also
translate information into numerous other languages.
An active publications programme
produces:
For more information and to
download WLUML publications, please visit our Resources
section.
Collective Projects
Collective projects have included
topic-specific initiatives that arise out of the shared needs, interests and
analysis of networkers. Networking groups and individuals are free to
participate, or not, according to their needs and capacity, and collective
projects have involved from three to over twenty networking groups and lasted
from a few months to ten years. Projects are principally coordinated and
implemented by networking groups or individual networkers in their respective
countries or communities; the coordination offices provide facilitation when
necessary. Some collective projects are in collaboration with sister
organizations and allies.
Collective projects have included
training sessions, workshops, research for advocacy, meetings and exchanges
around specialised topics.
Previous projects include: