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WRRC Bibliography

“Politics of Veiling and Revealing”

This blog post discusses the nature of veiling within a patriarchal context of control over female bodies. The issue of obligatory veiling as policy in some states, as well as the desire for women to have the freedom to choose their outfit without the menace of legal dress being a hindrance, is...

“Practice of the Stoning is in Our Laws: Interview with Shirin Ebadi”

In this interview with Nobel Prize Winner, Shirin Ebadi discusses stoning from both a human rights and religious point of view. With regards to human rights, she points out the hypocrisy in Iranian law in that the crime of homicide is legally less severe than the crime of adultery. She also...

“Problems in Contemporary Applications of Islamic Criminal Sanctions: The Penalty for Adultery in Relation to Women”

Taking the penalty for adultery (had al-zina) as a case study, this essay attempts to address some of the practical problems associated with contemporary applications of Islamic penalties know as hudood. It looks at all four Sunni schools of law in relation to zina, and gives an in-depth...

“Property and constitutional order: Land tenure reform and the future of the African state”
The debate over land law reform in Africa has been framed as a referendum on the market – that is, as a debate pitting advocates of the growth-promoting individualization of property rights against those who call for protecting the livelihoods and subsistence rights of small farmers. This article...
“Property Rights in West Africa: Unveiling the Visions of Women”
This article argues that African women suffer double deprivation in traditional West African societies. They inherit land and property rights from neither their fathers nor husbands. Although some African customs and much colonial influence alleviate some gender-based violence against women and...
“Protecting Girls from FGM and Harmful practices”

This is material from a Regional Workshop on FGM, which focuses on challenges and opportunities for legal interventions in Africa. It looks at the current policies and laws against FGM, as well as international human rights treaties and protocol. 

“Reconceptualising traditional practices in The Gambia. The case of female genital mutilation”

The thesis tries to explain the Practice of FGM in the context of culture and how it is used to control female sexuality. It brings out belief systems and how the victims of FGM are indoctrinated to embrace patriarchal values etc. 

“Religious based Violence against Women, and Feminist Responses: Iran, Afghanistan, and Algeria”

This (15 page) paper examines three Muslim contexts (Iran, Afghanistan, and Alergia) to show how ‘the woman question’ figured predominantly in Islamist discourses and legal frames, and how these discourses and laws led not only to social and sexual control over women but also to physical...

“Resources on Female Genital Mutilation”

This is a compilation of resource materials on FGM in various languages, as well as list of organisations/campaigns and various projects on FGM.

“Responding to Female Genital Mutilation: The Australian Experience in Context”

This article responds to female genital mutilation with a look at human rights standards and a national education program on FGM (1996-2000).