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Promoting gender equality in Muslim contexts: women's voices must not be silenced.

Article Excerpt
A question that is sometimes posed is whether women in Muslim contexts are entitled to equal rights. Are their culture and religion opposed to women having equal rights? To answer this, let us recognize the fact that nearly all the countries with Muslim majorities are signatories to international agreements advancing women's rights. These include the Convention for the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women, the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and other relevant agreements. (1)

Most recently, on the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women (25 November 2007), the Secretary-General of the Organization of the Islamic Conference issued a statement that said: "The observance of this day serves as a reminder to the entire international community of the 1999 UN General Assembly resolution 54/134, motivating the need to increase the status of women. Respect and upholding of women's rights in Islam are...

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