The Due Diligence Principle and the Role of the State: Discrimination against Women in Family and Cultural Life

This report on the discrimination against women in family and cultural life was submitted to the UN Working Group on Discrimination Against Women in Law and Practice by the Due Diligence Project in January 2015.

Table of Contents

I Introduction 1

1. Situational context 1
2. Purpose of Submission 3
3. Concepts and terminology 3

II Contributions to discourse 4

1. Due Diligence Framework and the Role of the State 4
2. Culture 5
   1. Basic premise 5
   2. Factors that influence culture 8
   3. Sites and actors 11
3. Family 16
   1. Various Forms of Family 16
   2. Rights and violations experienced within the family 19
   3. Plural legal systems 22

III. Recommendations and State Obligation 23

1. On Culture 25
2. On Family 27
3. On Plural Legal Systems 28