New Delhi, May 28, KNT: The National Commission for Women (NCW) has submitted a comprehensive recommendatory report titled “Rights of Muslim Women in India” to the Ministries of Home Affairs, Women and Child Development, and Minority Affairs following a national-level consultation focused on strengthening the legal, social and constitutional rights of Muslim women.
The report follows an extensive consultative process aimed at examining legal provisions and identifying areas requiring reform and stronger implementation.
According to the Commission, the recommendations emerged from a Round Table Consultation organized on August 1, 2025, in New Delhi. The consultation was attended by the Union Minister for Minority Affairs, senior government officials, legal experts, academicians, women’s rights organizations, religious scholars, social activists and civil society representatives from across the country.
The deliberations focused on reviewing existing legal safeguards and assessing gaps in implementation affecting Muslim women.
The NCW said the consultation examined ways to ensure stronger protection, improved legal awareness and greater empowerment of Muslim women through institutional and legal measures.
The Commission observed that while constitutional protections and recent legal reforms have contributed toward advancing women’s rights, significant scope remains for improving access to justice and ensuring clearer and more consistent legal frameworks.
Particular emphasis, according to the Commission, was placed on issues relating to marriage, divorce, maintenance, child custody and inheritance.
The report has been forwarded to the concerned ministries for consideration and further action.
The development comes amid continuing national discussions on personal laws, women’s rights and legal reform, with policymakers and civil society groups frequently debating the balance between constitutional guarantees and community-specific legal frameworks.
The NCW has presented the document as a recommendatory exercise intended to contribute toward policy discussions and institutional responses concerning Muslim women’s rights in India. [KNT]
NCW Recommendations on Muslim Women’s Rights
• Stronger legal awareness and easier access to justice for Muslim women
• Greater clarity and consistency in personal laws through progressive codification
• Review of existing legal provisions and identification of implementation gaps
• Legal reforms aimed at improving protection and empowerment of Muslim women
• Focus on key personal law issues including marriage, divorce, maintenance, child custody and inheritance
• Institutional and policy measures to strengthen constitutional and legal safeguards
Source: National Commission for Women recommendatory report and consultation process
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