Statement by the UN Resident Coordinator in Bahrain on the removal of Article 353 of Bahrain's 1976 Penal Code
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The removed law had been exempting rapists from prosecution if they married their victim. "This landmark legislative reform will increase the protection of the fundamental rights of women and girls in Bahrain", said Khaled El Mekwad, United Nations Resident Coordinator in Bahrain.
The United Nations in Bahrain congratulates the Kingdom of Bahrain after its Parliament voted, on 9 May, to remove Article 353 from the 1976 Penal Code, which had exempted rapists from prosecution if they married their victim.
This landmark legislative reform will increase the protection of the fundamental rights of women and girls in Bahrain. It represents another significant step towards achieving Bahrain’s global commitments for the Agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Developments Goals (SDGs), in particular SDG 5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls. The reform is also a highly positive achievement in the implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women.