Women's rights activists believe that the codification of existing personal laws of all religions, with necessary amendments, is the preferred approach for ensuring gender justice.
Activists, such as Zakia Soman, advocate for codified Muslim family laws that align with the affirmative rights mentioned in the Quran.
Amendments in Muslim personal law, including raising the marriage age, banning polygamy and practices like Nikah Halal, ensuring guardianship and custody rights for mothers, and equal property and inheritance rights for women, are seen as essential steps.
Similar attention is needed in Christianity to bring inheritance and property rights under a unified framework.
If opposition from clergy or community leaders prevents the amendments and codification of personal laws, experts agree that a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) would be the best alternative.
Uttarakhand has taken a step towards a UCC by drafting a proposed law for the state, which includes raising the marriage age for women, ending polygamy and polyandry, equal property rights for women, and changes in the Hindu Joint Family system.
Social activist Patricia Mukhim raises concerns about using a law for Uttarakhand as a template for the entire country, highlighting the different realities and traditional laws observed in the northeastern region.
The existence of the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, designed to preserve customary laws and practices of different communities, including those that may be seen as discriminatory against women, raises uncertainty about the implications of implementing a UCC.
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