The Philippine Shari’a Courts and the Code of Muslim Personal Laws

Abstract

A survey, conducted by the PILIPINA Legal Resources Center (PLRC) in the Philippines, on the extent of usage of, and the attitudes, aspirations and behavior of Muslim women in relation to the Code of Muslim Personal Laws (CMPL) found that the majority of Muslim women were not familiar with their official legal rights. The solution to the problem of lack of legal literacy is easy. The greater problem, as the survey indicated, is that women’s lack of autonomy is largely cultural, and justified by invoking customary laws and religious traditions. This worldview affects the individual’s ability to participate in every level of social life—from decision making within her home and family, to education, employment and public office. This chapter will discuss the implications of this research and what outreach projects have been implemented (including engagement with the UN Cedaw Committee) since it was undertaken, to overcome the problems revealed concerning Muslim women’s understanding of their legal rights in the Philippines.