Journal articles published externally

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These are journal articles by World Bank authors published externally.

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  • Publication
    Family Law Reform, Gender Equality, and Underage Marriage: A View from Morocco and Jordan
    (Taylor and Francis, 2015-10-23) Prettitore, Paul Scott
    Family codes in the Middle East & North Africa (MENA) region cover issues of personal status, which include marriage, divorce, child custody and support, alimony, and inheritance. In terms of marriage, codes usually cover such issues as marriage contracts, ownership of marital assets, responsibility for financial maintenance of the family, and the minimum age of marriage. There are different codes for different religions—primarily Islam and Christianity, but also Judaism—with varying degrees of similarity. Application of a respective code is based on the religion of the individual. The extent to which religious principles are reflected in respective family codes varies by country, and the extent to which certain principles are religious in nature is often open to debate. Civil marriage is rarely available, thus the vast majority of marriages are done through family courts. Many countries have specialized courts, either civil or religious, with jurisdiction over family law issues. This article explores the issue of marriage of minors as linked with the reform of family codes in Morocco and Jordan, and in particular the role of judicial bodies in providing a check on such marriages.
  • Publication
    Child Marriage and Faith Affiliation in Sub-Saharan Africa: Stylized Facts and Heterogeneity
    (Taylor and Francis, 2015-10-23) Gemignani, Regina; Wodon, Quentin
    This article has two main objectives. First, it provides an account of trends in child marriage in Africa and a brief analysis of the statistical association between child marriage and faith affiliation. Second, it cautions against broad generalizations about child marriage and faith affiliation, in order to show that beyond stylized facts derived from household survey data, there is also substantial heterogeneity within the adherents of any particular faith as to how the practice of child marriage is considered. The analysis focuses on Islamic communities.
  • Publication
    Islamic Law, Women's Rights, and State Law: The Cases of Female Genital Cutting and Child Marriage
    (Taylor and Francis, 2015-10-23) Wodon, Quentin
    Issues related to Islamic law, women’s rights, and state law have long been and remain deeply contested. This is most evident in debates around family law reform in majority Muslim countries. As one recent example, in Mali, a secular state according to its Constitution, the National Assembly adopted in August 2009 a new family code proposed by the government. The new code included provisions to set the minimum age for marriage at 18; change inheritance rules for women including the ability for them to remain in their dwelling upon the death of their husband; change rules for adoption and the recognition of children born out of wedlock; define marriage as a secular and public act that should be ratified by the state; and protect the integrity of the human body (which relates among others to the issue of female genital cutting or FGC). In some countries arguments inspired by Islamic law have been used in order to suggest that prohibiting FGC and child marriage could be “un-Islamic,” and faith leaders have substantial influence on whether the practices persist or not. Mali is a case in point.