Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and Islamic Law: Any Meeting Point?

Abstract

Women constitute more than half of the world's population yet categorized as one of the vulnerable groups. Protection of women therefore means protection of a greater part of the human race. The Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) was adopted by the United Nations in order to provide special protection for women against discrimination and all forms of abuse. The Convention is categorized as one of the UN Conventions that has enjoyed the highest ratification in UN history. Islamic law has equally provided protection for women against discrimination and all forms of abuse. Islam came at a time when women were regards as chattels in most parts of the world. Islamic law placed them on the same footing with men, gave them the right to own property and prohibited all forms of discrimination against them. Clearly,
both regimes aim to protect women, however certain areas of disagreement has forced several Muslim nations to tender reservation on some articles of the Convention. Reconciliation of these conflicts will no doubt add to the level of protection to be enjoyed by women. This paper therefore intends to examine the Convention, look at its areas of similarities and differences with Islamic law and suggests ways to reconcile the differences. A doctrinal methodology was adopted in arriving at the findings of this paper. The paper provided the Islamic insights to the protection against of the discrimination of the women folk. The paper, adopted desk review of secondary data in arriving at the research.