The Muslim Women’s Rights Day also known as ‘Muslim Mahila Adhikar Divas’ is annually observed across India on August 1 to commemorate the enactment of the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Act, 2019, which criminalizes the practice of instant Triple Talaq in India.
- August 1, 2025, marks the 6th anniversary of Muslim Women’s Rights Day.
Exam Hints:
- What? Muslim Women’s Rights Day
- When? August 1(Annually)
- Why: It commemorates the enactment of the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Act, 2019
- First Observance: August 1, 2020
- Objective: To promote gender equality, gender justice and empowerment
- Imprisonment: up to 3 years
Triple Talaq:
Instant Divorce: Triple Talaq refers to the instant and unilateral divorce, through which a Muslim man could legally divorce his wife by pronouncing the word “Talaq” three times.
Muslim Law: Under the Muslim law, Triple Talaq means liberty from the relationship of marriage. The law did not require the consent of the wife and did not have the need for involvement of the judiciary.
- Triple Talaq is also known as Talaq-e-Biddat.
Background:
Law Enactment: The Parliament of India enacted The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Act, 2019 on August 1, 2019, that has made the practice of instant triple talaq a criminal offence.
Announcement: : In 2020, the Ministry of Minority Affairs (MoMA) announced that Muslim Women’s Rights Day will be observed across India on August 1.
Observance: The first observance of Muslim Women’s Rights Day took place on August 1, 2020, marking the first anniversary of enactment of law.
Significance:
Empowerment: The law empowers Muslim women by securing their right to a dignified life, preventing unilateral divorce, and giving them the legal right to maintenance and custody of children.
Gender Equality: The unilateral divorce by a Muslim man left Muslim women without financial security, and shelter. The law ensures that divorce must follow a legal process, including the women’s consent for the dissolution of marriage.
Criminalizing Triple Talaq:
Petition: In 2016, Shayara Bano, a Muslim woman from Uttarakhand, filed a petition in the Supreme Court (SC), challenging the constitutionality of Triple Talaq.
Judgement: In 2017, the SC gave the judgement that triple talaq was unconstitutional and void. The judgement was a major victory for Muslim women in India, protecting their rights and promoting gender equality in India.
Imprisonment: Post enactment of the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Act, 2019, former President of India, Ram Nath Kovind gave his assent to the bill on August 1, 2019, and criminalized instant triple talaq with jail term of up to 3 years and fine.
Triple Talaq in other countries:
Muslim countries: Egypt was the first Muslim country to abolish Triple Talaq in 1929. Then Sudan (1929), Syria (1953), Pakistan (1956), Iraq (1959), Malaysia (1969), Bangladesh (1972) abolished the practice.
Other countries: Countries such as Cyprus, Jordan, Algeria, Iran, Brunei, Morocco, Qatar and the United States of America (UAE) have also abolished Triple Talaq.
About Ministry of Minority Affairs (MoMA):
Union Minister – Kiren Rijiju (Constituency – Arunachal West, Arunachal Pradesh, AR)
Minister of State (MoS) – George Kurian (Rajya Sabha – Madhya Pradesh, MP)
