Qualms about the CEDAW by the Muslim States: Analyzing Women Rights in Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Iran
The incompatible reservations have adversely affected the uniform application of the CEDAW Convention. A significant number of incompatible reservations have been formulated by the Muslim states. Such reservations have undermined the CEDAW provisions and conceivably doubt the state's accountability for its obligations under the Convention. The research comprises of two parts; first, it examines the reservations of the Muslim states in the context of their obligations under the Convention. Second, it adopts an analytical approach to analyze women rights in Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Iran (as a non-state party). Our findings reveal that despite the incompatible reservations, the Muslim states that have ratified the CEDAW Convention have shown significant improvement in women rights as compared to the states that are not members of the Convention. It suggests that Muslim states should revisit the scope of their reservations and adopt a rational approach towards women rights and fulfilling the obligations under the CEDAW Convention.
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Qualms of Muslim States to CEDAW, Women Rights in the Muslim States and Implementing CEDAW Convention in the Muslim States
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(1) Zaheer Iqbal Cheema
Assistant Professor, University Law College, New Campus, Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan.
(2) Zarfishan Qaiser
Assistant Professor, University Law College, New Campus, Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan.
(3) Khushbakht Qaiser
Assistant Professor, Kinnaird College for Women, Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan.