Conflict Incident Report

Women’s rights activists went to raise awareness about an item on Parliament’s agenda concerning removing a legal article allowing rapists to avoid prosecution if they marry their victim.

The women’s rights organization ABAAD also protested in front of the Parliament to pressure lawmakers to endorse the bill to abolish the controversial Article 522 of the Penal Code. The ABAAD protest included a woman wearing a white dress in a cage – a visual dramatization of the article.

However, Parliament didn’t address the rape law, which was 12th on the agenda, and moved on instead to discussions related to the salary bill, ABAAD’s campaign manager Alia Awada told The Daily Star.

“When the lawmakers reached Item 11 they went on a break and then when they resumed work they said that the priority was to discuss the salary hike,” Awada said.

The parliamentary session was adjourned to Thursday, when the bill on Article 522 may get a reading, along with the public sector salary adjustment bill.