INTERVENTION Johaira Wahab I Nisa Ul Haqq Fi Bangsa Moro PHILIPPINES AGENDA ITEM # 5: Minority Women and Effective Participation in Economic, Social and Cultural Life Thank you Madame Chair. My name is Johaira Wahab. I am with Nisa UI Haqq Fi Bangsa Moro (Women for.Justice in the Bangsa Moro), an NGO based in Mindanao, Philippines. It is the responsibility of States to protect minority women from discriminatory practices within a group, even if these practices may constitute "accepted cultural norms". (Therefore) in relation to Draft Recommendation no. 12: We agree to the tenor of the Draft Recommendation, with the addition that the recommendation should extend to laws and policies which sanction cultural norms discriminatory to women and ultimately impede their effective participation in economic and social life. We note Presidential Decree no. 1083 or "The Code of Muslim Personal Laws in the Philippines" (CMPL) which (1) sets different minimum ages for marriage for males and females l, (2) allows the marriage of girls below 15 years 2, and (3) allows the betrothal of girls below 12 years old, albeit voidable under certain circumstances.3 This law has pernicious impact on the access of minority girls to education, employment, psycho-social well-being, reproductive health and other facets of economic and social life. It institutionalizes cultural practices that make minority girls susceptible to the ills of early and forced marriages, not to mention discrimination in spousal rights and responsibilities and inheritance rights. A research we conducted in 2009 confirms that early and forced marriages are indeed prevalent among Muslim girls who are 9-17 years old. Among the 15- to 17-year old girls surveyed, more than one-half reported that their socio economic conditions remained poor after marriage as a result of lost opportunity for education and work. , Marrying early did not improve their self-esteem either. They bear an average of 3.5 children, and 3 out of 4 of them experience miscarriages and other reproductive health-related illnesses.