ZOUHOUR MECHERGUI

Mauritania- A draft law on gender-based violence has been rejected three times by the Mauritanian parliament. NuJINHA spoke to Aminetou Mint El-Moctar, human rights activist and founder of the Association of Women Heads of Households (French: Association des Femmes Chefs de Familles, AFCD), about the draft law rejected by the parliament.

 “Gender equality should be achieved unconditionally all over the world,” said Aminetou Mint El-Moctar, drawing attention to oppression faced by women in countries, where women’s movements are weak.

‘Women are deprived of their rights’

Pointing to the low literacy rates among women in Mauritania, she said, “This prevents women from participation in politics, the labor force, and decision-making positions. Women are deprived of their rights because they do not have a law protecting them from violence.”

Article 56 of the Personal Status Law (PSL) states that a husband constitutes the head of household while a wife’s role is to assist him in managing the family. A Mauritanian man may pass his nationality to his non-Mauritanian wife upon marriage. However, the law does not specifically provide for a Mauritanian woman to confer her nationality to her foreign husband.

The draft law contains many articles defining and punishing rape and sexual harassment, creating special criminal court chambers to hear sexual violence cases, and allowing nongovernmental groups to bring cases on behalf of survivors.

Aminetou Mint El-Moctar spoke about the rejection of the draft law by the parliament. “The draft law has been rejected three times by the parliament since 2012. The draft law has sparked discussions among extremist movements.”

‘Women should unite’

She criticized the lack of unity among women’s organizations and human rights organizations in Mauritania. “The lack of unity negatively affects women’s struggle for rights. Women activists should unite for women’s rights.”