Nearly 30 members of Niger’s national assembly discussed the relationship between gender and Islam during a one-day forum organized by NDI in Sadoré (40 km from Niamey, the capital of Niger) on March 7. Their objective was to familiarize members of parliament (MPs) with the different schools of thought that exist within Islam on themes connected to gender, human rights and education.
The adult literacy rate in Niger is 28.7 percent and the fertility rate is 7.6 children per woman. While Niger has ratified most international treaties and conventions on women rights, the integration of these into national law is incomplete. Laws that would strengthen the position of (young) women or promote gender equality are often perceived as controversial by faith-based groups within the 95 percent Muslim society.
Nearly 30 members of Niger’s national assembly discussed the relationship between gender and Islam during a one-day forum organized by NDI in Sadoré (40 km from Niamey, the capital of Niger) on March 7. Their objective was to familiarize members of parliament (MPs) with the different schools of thought that exist within Islam on themes connected to gender, human rights and education.
The adult literacy rate in Niger is 28.7 percent and the fertility rate is 7.6 children per woman. While Niger has ratified most international treaties and conventions on women rights, the integration of these into national law is incomplete. Laws that would strengthen the position of (young) women or promote gender equality are often perceived as controversial by faith-based groups within the 95 percent Muslim society.
