A newly adopted code in Mali which extended more equal rights to women and girls has been sent back to Parliament for review by President Amadou Toumani Toure. The new code, which according to IRIN has been under review  for the past decade, sparked protests and violence in the country.[1]

The new code addresses a number of issues in Mali, including allowing girls to receive inheritance rites. Additionally, and what has caused the most controversy, is a section dealing with marriage which defines the act as a secular, not religious, one. Moreover, the law continues to say that husbands and wives “owe each other ‘loyalty, protection, help and assistance.’”[2] This sentiment replaces the current law which demands that women obey their husbands. Some Malian citizens are protesting over this change, saying that traditional society will be disrupted if women are not legally obliged to obey their spouses. The protests and disruptions have forced the President to capitulate to pressures, sending the law back in which the new clauses will be re-examined and possibly removed.

The dispute over secular and religious laws comes from Mali’s unique situation. Although a predominately Muslim country, Mali’s government is a secular democracy. Tensions therefore arise over issues such as these, where religious and non-religious communities can disagree over cultural issues. Some women in the country believe it is primarily a class issue. Hadja Safiatou Dembele, president of the National Union of Muslim Women’s Associations, said, “A man must protect his wife. A wife must obey her husband. It’s a tiny minority of woman here who want this new law; the intellectuals. The poor and illiterate women of this country, the real Muslims, are against it.”[3]

However, other Muslim leaders have cheered the new law. Daouda Dia said, “Women have always been considered second rank here, which is not normal. We are all equal. I do not see any problem with the article that women and men should have mutual respect…”[4]

Some citizens are agitating for modern legal developments to help foster Mali’s development. Some citizens, like Mahmud Dicko who is the president of the Islamic Council, believe the country’s strong roots in Muslim tradition should not be tampered with. When asked about whether women should have to obey their husbands, he replied, “It’s just the way our society is organized. The head of the family is the man, and everyone in the family has to obey him. It’s like that to create harmony.”[5]

The bill also abolishes the death penalty and mandates girls must be at least 18 years old before they can marry.

Read the original article here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8223966.stm