Harm to Women from Bangladesh’s Discriminatory Laws on Marriage, Separation, and Divorce
This 109-page report documents how the country’s discriminatory and archaic personal laws impoverish many women at separation or divorce, and trap some women in violent marriages because they fear destitution. Current laws deprive women of an equal right to marital property. The limited entitlements these laws offer women are poorly enforced by family courts and local government arbitration councils. Female-headed households and women facing domestic violence struggle to access critical state support and social assistance. Together, these problems mean there is scant economic protection or security for women when marriages break down.
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ISBN: 1-56432-935-6
ISBN: 1-56432-935-6
Feature Content
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- “Will I Get My Dues … Before I Die?”
- Glossary
- Summary
- Key Recommendations
- Methodology
- I. Women’s Economic Status and the Implications of Marriage
- II. Laws Relating to Marriage, Divorce, and Separation
- III. Impacts of Bangladesh’s Discriminatory Personal Laws on Married, Divorced, and Separated Women
- IV. The Legal Obstacle Course
- V. State Assistance to Divorced and Separated Women, and Women Facing Domestic Violence
- VI. Bangladesh’s Obligations under International Law
- VII. Recommendations
- Acknowledgments
- Appendix I
- Appendix II






