Women's rights campaigners in Bangladesh celebrated a landmark legal victory on Tuesday, after the nation's top court recently ruled that the word "virgin" must be removed from marriage certificates.

Under the current marriage laws in the Muslim-majority country in South Asia, a bride is required to state on her marriage certificate if she is a "kumari" — meaning virgin — a widow, or divorced.

The country's High Court issued a brief verdict on Sunday, ordering the government to remove the term and to replace it with "unmarried."

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The ruling is a victory for women's rights groups who fought a five-year legal battle challenging the term virgin as "humiliating and discriminatory."

"It's a ruling that gives us the belief that we can fight and create more changes for women in the future," Ainun Nahar Siddiqua, of Bangladesh Legal Aid And Services Trust (BLAST), told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

Read more: Muslim women in India struggle to end 'triple talaq'

Rules for grooms also set to change

The ruling also means changes for grooms. Unlike women, men previously did not have to disclose their status but will now also be required to state if they are unmarried, divorced or a widower.

"I have conducted many marriages in Dhaka and I have often been asked why men have the liberty to not disclose their status but women don't," Mohammad Ali Akbar Sarker, a Muslim marriage registrar from Dhaka, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

"I always told them this wasn't in my hands. I guess I won't be asked that question anymore," he added.

The term virgin had been used in marriage certificates since 1961, when Bangladesh was still part of Pakistan. Siddiqua and others argued in court that the term breaches the privacy of the woman getting married.

The court is due to publish its full verdict in October, with the changes to the certificates expected to come into force then.

Bangladeshi women in Rome challenge gender stereotypes A rising community According to the Interior Ministry, almost 40,000 Bangladeshis live in Rome. Tor Pignattara, a working-class neighborhood on the eastern outskirts of the city, hosts the largest community.

Bangladeshi women in Rome challenge gender stereotypes "Work is good for a woman" Laila, 46, is the owner of a traditional clothes shop and the president of the women’s association Mohila Somaj Collan Someti. "Some husbands don't like seeing a woman as the head of such a business," she says.

Bangladeshi women in Rome challenge gender stereotypes Going beyond stereotypes Sanjida, 29, is a cultural mediator. She came to Italy to be reunited with her husband. "I decided to wear a hijab after I arrived here. Sometimes I feel discriminated, but I want to build a family in Rome anyway. During my work I usually meet women who spend most of their time home alone. I always encourage them to go out and find an Italian language course."

Bangladeshi women in Rome challenge gender stereotypes Education as a way of emancipation Nair, who is 20, was born in Rome. She studies medicine at La Sapienza University. "I get the best from both cultures, but I believe that education is the most important thing in life."

Bangladeshi women in Rome challenge gender stereotypes Bringing Bangladeshi tradition to Rome Sultana, 46, arrived in Italy 26 years ago. She opened the first traditional fashion shop in Torpignattara because she felt lonely when her husband was at work. "Many women spend their time alone at home. They bring their children to school alone. They clean alone. But things are slowly changing."

Bangladeshi women in Rome challenge gender stereotypes A bridge between two different cultures Salma, 50, has worked as a cultural mediator in hospitals, schools and public offices. "I like to think of myself as a backpack full of colored stones from Bangladesh. I lost some of those during the way, but acquired new ones. I always keep a window open to change."

Bangladeshi women in Rome challenge gender stereotypes A new generation Sahila, 28, is a fiscal adviser. Born and raised in Italy, she hates being asked whether she is more Bangladeshi or Italian. "I am friendly and open-minded as an Italian woman, but I consider my family as important as Bangladeshis do. It's still a slow process, but I believe that things are getting better for Bangladeshi women, especially for the second generation."

Bangladeshi women in Rome challenge gender stereotypes A mix of cultures According to the official Bangladeshi census, Muslims constitute over 90% of the population, while Hindus accounts for 9.5%. "There is no single story, everyone has a different background and different skills," says researcher Katiuscia Carnà. Author: Valerio Muscella (Rome)



rs/rc (Reuters, AFP)

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