Muslim Women's Rights Day: 1 August

In India, August 1 is annually celebrated as Muslim Women's Rights Day to commemorate the enactment of a law against triple talaq by the Government of India.

On August 1, 2019, the central government declared 'triple talaq or talaqe biddat' a legal offense, leading to a significant reduction in its incidence since then.

• The triple talaq law has liberated Muslim women from social evils such as unilateral divorce conditions, and it draws inspiration from landmark cases like 'Shah Bano Begum Vs. Ahmed Khan' and 'Shayra Bano vs Union of India.'

• The Supreme Court's writ petition demanded the declaration of three prevalent practices in Muslim society—Talaq-e-biddat, polygamy, and Nikah-halala—as unconstitutional, citing violations of constitutional provisions like Articles 14, 15, 21, and 25.

Triple Talaq Law: 

• Triple Talaq, also known as Talaq-e-biddat, previously allowed Muslim men to divorce their wives by uttering 'talaq' thrice through various means like phone, message, mail, or letter. 

• However, this activity has significantly decreased after the enactment of the law, leading to an 82% reduction in triple talaq cases.

• The law considers the declaration of divorce as a cognizable offense and carries a punishment of imprisonment for three years.

• Notably, major Muslim countries around the world, including Egypt (1929), Sudan, Pakistan (1956), Malaysia (1969), Bangladesh (1972), Iraq (1959), and Syria (1953), have also banned the practice of triple talaq.