Sexist laws need to be abolished to set women free

In some countries, women are still fighting for their freedom to do every day things like driving a car or wearing a miniskirt.

Last month, Loujain al-Hathloul, 25, was released from prison after being arrested for defying a ban on female driving, according to Al Jazeera.

The Saudi woman was jailed for two months for attempting to drive from the United Arab Emirates into Saudi Arabia, where women are prohibited from driving and must be accompanied by a male chaperone at all times while travelling.

Across the globe, discriminatory laws prevent women from carrying out simple tasks that prevent them from being accepted, valued, and honoured in order to reach their highest potential.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration, a global pledge to attain equality, development, and peace for women worldwide.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein said yesterday: “Real change does not happen unless women and men fight for these rights.”

“All of us, together, men, women, boys, girls, we all have to do this to eradicate gender discrimination. Let us make it happen,” he added.

In the spirit of International Women’s Day on March 8, here’s a list of global laws that need to be abolished in order to set our women free.

Yemen: women aren’t recognised as full witnesses

According to a 2005 Freedom House report, a woman was only half a witness in court, reported The Washington Post.

The policy on legal testimony in Yemen required a single woman’s testimony to be backed by a man’s testimony; or concerned a place or situation where a man would not be, otherwise the testimony was deemed invalid.

And women can’t testify in cases of adultery, libel, theft or sodomy.

Uganda: women are not allowed to wear miniskirts

Dubbed the “miniskirt law” by local media, Uganda’s anti-pornography law introduced last year banned indecent dressing.

Politicians in Uganda called for the imprisonment of any woman dressed in a skirt “above the knee”.

Saudi Arabia: women are not allowed to drive

According to The Sydney Morning Herald, there was no law in Saudi Arabia that specifically prohibited women from driving, but the government had imposed a ban on granting driving licenses to women.

Without the freedom to drive, women were unable to move freely and were severely confined to their home.

Vatican City and Saudi Arabia: women can’t vote

In Vatican City, voting is a theocracy, a rule by a religious figure. The only time women were allowed to be involved was during the election of a new pope after he died or resigned.

In 2011, women attempted to register as voters in the municipal elections in Saudi Arabia but were turned down.

However, BBC reported that King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia is reported to have said that women will be able to run for municipal office and vote in future.

China: women can’t claim property in the event of a divorce

Since 2011, property was no longer split following the divorce of a couple, but awarded to the person whose name was on the title deeds, reported The Guardian UK.

“The decision is a backward step for women,” said Li Ying, a Beijing-based lawyer who explained that men usually paid for the house, but women provided the money for decoration which could cost almost as much as the initial purchase.

Lebanon: women are treated unfairly in divorce and custody battles

According to Human Rights Watch (HRW) Lebanon, under the country’s Shia, Sunni and Druze laws, men can demand a divorce any time, unilaterally, and without cause.

But a woman’s ability to access divorce is limited, and often at great cost and after lengthy court proceedings.

Seven of the 27 women interviewed by HRW said they did not approach religious courts for a divorce because they could not afford the costs of court proceedings or feared losing primary care responsibility for their children.

India: marital rape is legal

According to CNN, 94 per cent of rapes in India were committed by perpetrators known to the victim – their husbands.

The Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2013, states: “Sexual intercourse or sexual acts by a man with his own wife, the wife not being under fifteen years of age, is not rape.”

As a result, the number of women sexually assaulted by their husbands was 40 times the number of women attacked by men they don’t know, said CNN.