The National Commission for Women (NCW) presented a detailed report on the rights of Muslim women in India to the Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Women and Child Development, and Ministry of Minority Affairs. This report stemmed from a national-level consultation held in New Delhi on August 1 last year, attended by various stakeholders including government officials, legal experts, women’s rights groups, and social activists. The consultation aimed to address legal reforms for enhancing access to justice and socio-economic empowerment for Muslim women.
The NCW highlighted the importance of reviewing the legal framework concerning Muslim women, identifying implementation gaps, and proposing reforms to strengthen constitutional safeguards and promote social and economic empowerment. Emphasis was placed on areas such as marriage, divorce, maintenance, child custody, and inheritance. The consultation sessions focused on government welfare measures, legal protections, and challenges related to personal laws governing Muslim women’s rights.
The report recommended concrete legal and institutional reforms to enhance legal awareness, improve access to justice, and ensure consistency in personal laws through progressive codification. It called for a comprehensive law codifying Muslim personal law in matters of marriage, divorce, maintenance, custody, and inheritance. Additionally, the report proposed measures such as mandatory marriage registration, prohibition of child marriage, and regulation of divorce practices to ensure fairness and equal access to legal remedies.
The NCW urged for the strengthening of financial safeguards for women during and after marriage, protection of mehr (dower) and matrimonial assets, child-centric custody frameworks, and simplified enforcement of inheritance rights. It also advocated for gender-sensitive dispute resolution mechanisms, expansion of legal aid services, and awareness campaigns. The report emphasized the need to address exploitative practices and provide rehabilitation support, identity recognition, and livelihood assistance for affected women, reaffirming the commitment to gender justice and women’s empowerment.
