Student Research Projects

Personal Status Laws in Iran and Saudi Arabia

Student Name(s)	Maria Merlo
Faculty Mentor(s)	Dr. Laura Landolt
Department	Political Science
Course	POLS 499

Abstract

In the Middle East and North Africa personal status laws (PSLs) address marriage, divorce and inheritance, and are derived from sharia, or Islamic law. These laws differentiate between the rights of men and women. I will describe and explain differences in women's rights under the PSLs between Iran and Saudi Arabia.