Mauritania has ratified the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).
Mauritania has four areas of law which effect women in different ways: Islamic law; Customary African law; Customary Arabic-Bedouin and Berber law; and, (modern) Civil law
Women's rights in marriage are precarious, especially under Islamic and customary African law. There have been several attempts to draw up a legal code for women and the family. A new draft code has been drawn up and is being circulated to women's structure by the Secretariat of State for the Status of Women for information, discussion and approval.
Due to their high rate of illiteracy, women are often not aware of their rights, and information concerning women's rights is insufficiently distributed.
