Seeking succour for women

The programme entitled, Islamic Family Law (IFL), was organised by the Women’s Rights Advancement and Protection Alternative (WRAPA) in collaboration with the Jigawa state government and it was held in 3-Star Hotel in Dutse. The Islamic Family Law (IFL) is one of the projects currently being executed by WRAPA to tackle harmful cultural practices against […]

The programme entitled, Islamic Family Law (IFL), was organised by the Women’s Rights Advancement and Protection Alternative (WRAPA) in collaboration with the Jigawa state government and it was held in 3-Star Hotel in Dutse.

The Islamic Family Law (IFL) is one of the projects currently being executed by WRAPA to tackle harmful cultural practices against women.  The IFL project was therefore aimed at actualising the legal rights of women through mobilisation, sensitisation and provision of legal and other support services to women.

Pyramid Trust learnt that the seven north-western states of Kano, Kaduna, Katsina, Jigawa, Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara have been selected for the project. This may not be unconnected with the fact that these states claim to be practising the Shari’ah legal system.

The areas touched by the project comprised of Ijbar (Authority of the father to marry off his daughter with or without her consent), Khul, divorce, maintenance in matrimony and post-divorce and marriageable age.

According to a research work conducted by WRAPA, the abuse of Ijbar can be curtailed by the application of the doctrine of public policy and other interpretative tools to abolish or at least restrict and or regulate the practice.

These areas were studied and recorded. Twenty-four experts were commissioned to conduct research into the five selected areas. Five other experts were said to have conducted baseline survey on the practices of Ijbar, Khul and divorce.

Pyramid Trust further learnt that issues bordering on custody of children, post-marriage maintenance, procedures of divorce and other related marital problems were extensively diagnosed by the experts under the umbrella of the Islamic Family Law project.   

On the issue of divorce, which is rampant among the Muslims Ummah, the project said a form of regulation on the practice of divorce would strengthen the family and reduce its high prevalence in the seven selected states. The project, however, proposed the adoption of sunnah divorce as a benchmark.

For the maintenance in matrimony and post divorce, the project said it is obligatory on the husband to provide for the woman, depending on the economic status of the man. It further proposed a benchmark of the husband feeding the wife three times daily, clothing her and her child four times annually. This, according to the project, would help in doing away with old the practice of clothing the family once in year or during Muslims major festivals of Eid-El Fitr or Eid-El Kabir.

Speaking while declaring the meeting open, the Jigawa state Governor, Alhaji Sule Lamido noted that, women in their various roles as mothers, sisters, wives and daughters were central to the lives of the entire human beings. Governor Lamido further stated that women are partners of their men and contribute meaningfully to the development of the society.  

Governor Lamido, however, regretted that, in Nigeria, retrogressive cultural factors and practices had entrenched a system of discrimination against women. According to him, the system of discrimination against women had accommodated the violation of their rights, causing untold hardships to them. The situation, according to him, needed concerted efforts to address the ugly trend.

“Islam proclaims, guarantees and protects the rights of women. God the Almighty’s injunctions on Muslims to respect women and their rights have appeared in many chapters of the Holy Qur’an. Various Prophetic traditions and the last sermon of the holy Prophet Muhammad (SAW) have enjoined Muslims to respect the rights of women,” noted Governor Lamido.

Governor Lamido, who was represented by his Deputy, Alhaji Ahmad Mahmoud, however, assured that Jigawa state government was ready to work with any organisation  willing to protect and promote the rights of women.

“Jigawa state government is willing to partner with WRAPA and any organisation that shares common ideology in areas that will bring changes in the living conditions of women in the state and in Nigeria as whole. We are willing to partner with NGOs that are poised to bring positive change to our society,” said the governor.

In her welcome address, the Secretary General of the Women’s Right Advancement and Protection Alternative (WRAPA), Hajiya Saudatu Mahdi, said the project activities included research and documentation, sustained dialogue with key social and religious stakeholders, public events, media and Information technology sensitisation to raise awareness.

Hajiya Saudatu further added that the meeting was convened to discuss on four major findings that include research, baseline survey, database and benchmark research and IT research which were undertaken on some key issues of Islamic Family Law.

She noted that, “various researches carried out by WRAPA have provided an insight into the challenges in the administration of Islamic Family Law as well as challenges before those that have access to justice for women in the seven selected states”.

The secretary-general, however, expressed the optimism that at the end of the  discourse by experts on Islamic Jurisprudence, a consensus on benchmark aimed at fostering understanding and improving practices of Ijbar, Khul, divorce, post-divorce maintenance and marriage age would be arrive at.

Mahdi noted that no religion in the world offered beauty to women the way Islam does, yet Muslims are being accused of subjugating women. Going by this, however, WRAPA deems it necessary to find solutions to such problems.

Professor Na’iya  Sada, one of the academia that participated in the research conducted by WRAPA  on the Islamic Family Law told Pyramid Trust that, “Islam has all along been evolutionary in terms of its laws; it keeps changing with changing circumstances. In Islam we have the principle of Ijtihad (The ability of the scholars of the time to change the rule and to reform the laws to suet the circumstances of that time without changing the basic Islamic rule as contained in the Qur’an and the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad (SAW)). This is why change has been taking place in Islam.”