Conference on Polygamy – 28th March 2009 – London
Background information:
As part of our continuing support for International Women’s Week, KRWO are holding a conference to raise the awareness of issues around polygamy in this country and in the Middle East.
Over the last 17 years of Kurdish self-rule some of most barbaric violations of women’s rights have continued and continue to affect the lives of over two million women in Kurdistan Iraq. Women and girls continue to be subjected to forced marriage, child marriage, female genital mutilation, domestic violence as the norm and honour killing. All of these violations of a women’s right to be free of inhuman and degrading treatment, not to mention the right to life, have been met by almost complete silence by the Kurdish government.
In the new Personal Status Law brought into effect by the Kurdistan Parliament in October 2008 renewed the right of men to enter into polygamous marriages. Breathing new life into the history of polygamy which is tied directly to the subjugation of women and violates the basic principles of equality between men and women as understood in International Law.
In the UK since Muslim marriages are not legally recognised, some Muslim men have religious marriages and marry more than one woman while remaining within the boundaries of UK law. This situation, Lady Warsi, the shadow minister for community cohesion, argues is the result of an inappropriate concern for cultural sensitivities.
This conference has been organised with a view towards ending polygamous marriages in this country and abroad, and eradicating violence against women.
Let’s make International Women’s Day on March 8 – a day against polygamy!
Saturday 28th March 2009 from 10.30am – 2pm
London South Bank University
Abbey Conference Centre
Castle Lecture Theatre
London Road Building
100-116 London Road
SE1 6LN
Conference Programme:
10:30 – 11:00 Registration and Refreshments
11:00 – 11:15 Welcome and Introduction
- Conference Chair: Gona Saed – Kurdistan Refugee Women Organisation
11:15 – 12:30 Speakers:
- Sawsan Salim – Director, Kurdistan Refugee Women Organisation
Reprentative – Kurdistan Regional Government UK
Gerry Campbell – Detective Superintendent, Metropolitan Police (tbc)
Dr Ghayas Siddiqui – Muslim Parliament of Great Britian
12:30 – 13.00 Q&A
13:00 – 14:00 Lunch
14.00 – 14:45 Speakers:
- Rezan Jalal – Kurdistan Women’s Union
Houzan Mahmoud – Organisation of Women’s Freedom in Iraq
Dashti Jamal – Iraqi Refugee Organisation
14:45 – 15.15 Q&A
15:30 – End
By tube – our closest stations is Elephant & Castle on the Bakerloo and Northern line.
By bus – numbers 1, 12, 35, 40, 45, 53, 63, 68, 100, 133, 148, 155, 168, 171, 172, 176, 188, 196, 333, 344, 360, 363, 453, 468, C10 and P5.
By car – parking in Central London is very difficult and it is not possible to park in the University grounds or the surrounding roads.
E-mail: waviolence@ukonline.co.uk
Website: http://www.womenaginstviolenceuk.org
