Women Living Under Muslim Laws


Women Living Under Muslim Laws is an international solidarity network established in 1984. It does academic and advocacy work in the fields of women's' rights and secularism, focusing on the impact on women of laws inspired by Muslim religion or customs.

Origins

The network started out as a loose organization with no fixed membership, where individual and groups assumed responsibility for specific initiatives. It attracted women affected by Muslim laws, whether they are Muslims or not, bringing together religious believers, human rights advocates, secularists and atheists.
Until Marieme Helie Lucas retired as international coordinator in the late 1990s, it remained a fluid organization without clearly defined staff positions.

Research and current work

The network coordinates research exploring the mechanism by which laws affecting women borrow from cultural practices and colonial laws in addition to religious dogma, to eliminate progressive laws and restrict women's freedom. It also facilitates communication between women's groups across Africa and Asia, sharing success stories and helping to coordinate international actions. It conducted studies and advocated on issues such as forced marriage of girls and stoning. The group's research on the impact of Muslim family law led to the founding of the Musawah campaign in 2009.
Some governments look unfavorably upon the group's work. Collaboration with Women Living Under Muslim Laws was mentioned as a motive for the 2016 arrest of both Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and Homa Hoodfar by Iranian authorities.