The majority of Muslim nations, including Malaysia, ratified
the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of
Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), with the exception of
those provisions that conflict with Islamic teachings,
particularly those that deal with Islamic family law. This article
discusses conflicting issues that are related to the provisions of
Article 16 (1) of CEDAW and Islamic family law in Malaysia
such as gender equal rights to marriage, equal rights in
divorce-related matters, and equal position between mother and
father towards their children. The Islamic family law of
Malaysia, the international treaty (CEDAW), and authoritative
jurisprudence books as well as contemporary Islamic law texts
were all examined as part of this study using a content analysis
method. CEDAW’s blanket definition of the discrimination
against women and make the same demands disregards of the