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"Committee to Defend
Women's Rights in the Middle East" - CDWRME is founded and struggles for women's
human rights, individual freedom and civil rights.
We believe that
secularism and the separation of religion from the state are the basic
pre-conditions for women’s liberation in the Middle East.
We believe in the
universality of women’s rights and consider cultural relativism as a cover to
create a comprehensive social, legal, intellectual, emotional, geographical and
civil apartheid based on distinctions of race, ethnicity, religion and gender.
This complete system of apartheid attacks women’s basic rights and freedom and
justifies savagery and barbarism inflicted on women by Islamic movements and
Islamic governments in the region.
The major laws and measures that we demand
and struggle for are as follows:
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Abolition of the
current Personal Status Code, replacing it by a secular and egalitarian family
law. Laying down equal rights and obligations for women and men regarding the
care and upbringing of children, control and running of family's finance,
inheritance, choice of residence, housework, divorce and in case of separation
custody of children.
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Abolition of honor
killing laws. Recognition of honor killing as a grave crime.
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Putting an end to
forced marriages
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Prohibition of imposing the
Islamic dress code and veil. Freedom of clothing
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Prohibition of interference of
authorities and family members in the private lives of women
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Prohibition of any form of
segregation of women and men in public places.
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Abolition of any restriction
on the right of women to work, travel and choose the place of residence at will.
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Equal political rights for
women, rights to vote and to be elected women's rights to hold any position and
office - political, administrative and judicial. Women's rights to form women
organizations and affiliation to political parties without any restriction.
Supporting and encouraging non-governmental women’s rights groups.
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Secure equality of
rights of women and men in employment, wages, insurance, education and family
affairs.
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Imposition of severe penalties on abuse,
intimidation and violent treatment of women and girls in the family.
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Prohibition of polygamy
Women's rights activists
from Iran, Jordan and Lebanon have founded CDWRME in July 2001, and Azam
kamguian is the coordinator and the spokesperson of the committee.
Committee
to Defend Women's Rights in the Middle East
September 2001
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