Full-text of the Women’s Equal Rights Law, 5711-1951
1) A man and woman shall have equal status with regard to any legal proceeding; any provision of the law which discriminates, with regard to any legal proceeding, against women and women, shall be of no effect.
2) A married woman shall be fully competent to own and deal with property as if she were unmarried; her rights in property acquired to before marriage shall not be affected by her marriage.
3) (a) Both parents are the natural guardians of their children; where one parent dies, the survivor shall be the natural guardian. (b) The Provisions of subsection (a) shall not derogate from the power of a competent court or tribunal to deal with matters of guardianship over the persons or property of children with the interest of the children as the sole consideration.
4) (a) Notwithstanding anything contained in any other law, rights in an estate, being mulk land or movable property, shall be determined in accordance with the provisions of the Second Schedule or to the Succession Ordinance. (b) The provisions of subsection (a) shall apply to any estate the order for the distribution of which is made after the coming into force of this Law, even if the deceased died before such coming into force. (c) The provisions of subsection (a) do not apply to such items of an estate as are disposed of by will.
5) This Law shall show affect any legal prohibition or permission relating to marriage or divorce.
6) This Law shall not derogate from any provision of law protecting women as women.
7) All courts shall act in accordance with this Law; a tribunal competent to deal with matters of personal status shall likewise act in accordance therewith, unless all the parties are eighteen years of age or over and have consented before the tribunal, of their own free will, to have their case tried according to the laws of their community.
8) The Criminal Code Ordinance, 1936, shall be amended as follows: (a) Paragraph (c) of the proviso to section 181 is repealed; (b) the following section shall be inserted after 181: 181A. Where the husband dissolves the marriage against the will of the wife without a judgement of a competent court or tribunal ordering the wife to dissolve the marriage, the husband is guilty of a felony and shall be liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years.
9) The Minister of Justice is charged with the implementation of this Law.
David Ben-Gurion, Prime Minister
Pinchas Rosen, Minister of Justice
Chaim Weizmann, President of the State
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A Timespace showing the evolution of women's right to vote around the world. Cover image by Giacomo Ferroni. Under construction!
