Campaign for new family laws

Manama: With a view to protecting women from domestic abuse, Bahraini human rights activists have launched a campaign here. The campaign, titled “Bahrain National Campaign for Demanding Jaafari family law,” urges the authorities to create new family laws in Jaafari courts, which will protect women from domestic abuse.

Spearheading the campaign, Bahrain Human Rights Watch Society (BHRWS) stated that the organisation intends to grab national and international attention to this matter.

“A petition was presented to the UN Higher Commissioner of Human Rights in Geneva and to the President of the Assembly of Human rights at the same time. The petition asks for help and support to the Bahraini women in the Jaafari section, who are demanding the laws,” BHRWS stated.

Speaking to DT News, the campaign Manager Fadhel Aloud said, “I am sure that the UN Higher Commissioner of Human Rights and the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) will take this issue seriously.” “We want to ensure that all types of description against are removed.”

Aloud informed that the petition was the second one to be presented to the United Nations regarding the issue.

“We want to ensure that women are protected from abusive husbands and discrimination. Human rights activists in Bahrain have been calling for this since a very long time. There are many issues that woman face in Jaafari court. For example, in many cases where the woman tried to divorce the abusive husband it took upto seven years,” he added.