GENEVA: United Nations experts on Monday urged the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to give women the same nationality rights as men and called for equal rights between the sexes in marriage and divorce. The United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) voiced its concerns following a fourth periodic review of the United Arab Emirates. CEDAW is a body of 23 independent experts that monitors the implementation of the treaty on ending discrimination against women. “The committee expressed concern about numerous provisions of the Personal Status Law that discriminate against women and girls, particularly the de jure retention of male guardianship, the persistence of polygamy, and the limited grounds for divorce available to women,” it said. –Agencies
