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Rape Laws in the Arab World: Does Honor Still Come First?

September 18, 2025
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  “Searching for justice means ensuring that no woman or girl is left outside the umbrella of legal protection, and that the law serves as a framework of fairness with no gaps for impunity,” said Wafa Bani Mustafa, Jordan’s Minister of Social Development, at the launch of Equality Now’s regional report on rape legislation in Arab states on Tuesday, September 9. The search for justice neither begins nor ends in the Arab world; it is a continuous journey of reform and change. One of the most significant milestones in this journey has been the repeal of the “marry your rapist” laws, once present in several Arab countries. In Jordan, the law was abolished in 2017 following major advocacy campaigns, with similar repeals taking place in Egypt, Tunisia, Lebanon, Kuwait, and Morocco. Yet, despite these legal victories, the practice still persists informally outside the legal system. In other countries where it remains, the law allows rapists to avoid prosecution, or receive reduced sentences, by marrying their victims, effectively legalizing forced marriage under the guise of “restoring honor.” To preserve her “honor,”  a survivor is forced to relive her trauma, surrender her…


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