First encyclopedia on women’s rights in the region

The Arab League has published the first ever encyclopedia stating the legal position of women's rights in the region. The book called: “The Situation of Women in Arab Legislations”, was put together to serve as fundamental reference guide to the legal status of women in Arab countries. “The purpose of this book is to serve as a reference for any individual interested in the legal status of women in any of the Arab League member states,” according to the Women’s Unit of the Cairo-based Arab League. The idea was welcomed by the Egyptian National Council for Women which called the book an “an excellent step” in expanding women’s rights in Arab countries. “Putting all of this information together means that when we want to study the state of women in any of these countries, we can see what is in the law and what is missing,” Farkhoda Hassan, the Secretary General of the Egyptian government’s National Council for Women, said. The encyclopedia, which consists of four volumes and a CD, presents, in one source, information on the status of women in the constitutions and laws of the 22 member states of the Arab League. While the first volume, “Constitutions,” provides information on all parts of the member states’ constitutions that deal with women and their rights, the other three volumes address the laws that regulate the status of women in various domains. The second volume covers “Nationality and Personal Status.” While the third and forth volumes, “Civil Law and Punishment” and “Women’s Laws,” present all the laws related to crime and punishment, labour, social security, political participation, education and trade with regqards to women. Although the encyclopedia merely presents information on the laws and parts of the constitutions that deal with women Hassan it would be of great value to those working to expand the rights of women in the Arab world. Hassan noted that most Arab constitutions give a degree of equality to women, though few provide absolute equality. “The first step in the participation of women in politics is the establishment of these laws. This book will allow us to see where the holes are so that we can know how to fix them.” The encyclopedia, which will be printed in both Arabic and English, can be purchased from the Women’s Unit of the Arab League for US $55.