CSW67 Side Event - Spotlight on Family Law: We Need Reform Now!

Discrimination within the family remains the biggest stumbling block towards achieving equality and justice for women in the private and public spheres. Yet, family law reform today remains the most intractable area of law reform because most family laws frameworks are based on religion, culture, and tradition. This panel discussion interrogated the impacts of loose, inconsistent, and outdated family law codes on the daily lived realities of women and girls across urban and rural settings. Speakers addressed some of the key injustices that women and girls commonly face in the contexts of Uganda, Sudan, and Ethiopia, and the reasons family law reform can address these issues. This discussion occurred in-person at the 67th convening of the Commission on the Status of Women.