Mali president refuses to sign women’s rights bill
The president of Mali has announced that he is not going to sign the country’s new family law, instead returning it to parliament for review.
Muslim groups have been protesting against the law, which gives greater rights to women, ever since parliament adopted it at the start of the month.
President Amadou Toumani Toure said he was sending the law back for the sake of national unity.
Muslim leaders have called the law the work of the devil and against Islam.
More than 90% of Mali’s population is Muslim.
Some of the provisions that have proved controversial give more rights to women.
