8 important laws that were approved in Arab countries during 2018

2018 saw several Arab countries approve historic legislations that lay ground for positive change in states across the region. 

Though some of them still await final approvals before they are officially implemented, they all signal a move in the right direction. 

From banning violence against women to criminalizing sexual harassment, here are a few of the most important laws that were granted the green light in the past few months:  

In November 2018, Tunisia's cabinet officially approved a bill that allows for gender equality in inheritance. 

Though the proposed law has to be discussed in the country's parliament before becoming effective, its approval is a historic legal decision. 

The legislation, which is set to permit women and men to have an equal inheritance, was suggested by the Tunisian President Beji Caid Essebsi on national Women's Day in 2017. 

It has been deemed a controversial legal decision due to the fact that it contradicts a Quranic verse which states the share of women's inheritance is half that of men's.

However, "the law will also ensure freedom of choice between following the constitution or the Sharia Islamic law."

June 24, 2018: The day Saudi Arabia officially lifted the ban on women driving in the country.

The decision to cancel the longstanding ban, which deprived women of their right to drive in the kingdom for decades, had been announced in 2017. 

However, it took effect across the country's cities in the summer of this year. 

In September 2018, Morocco officially criminalized violence against women under a new law that was approved by the country's parliament in February. 

The legislation imposes fines - and in some cases prison sentences - on offenders of rape, sexual harassment, and domestic abuse.

The legislation also amended the definition of sexual harassment to include "unsolicited acts, statements or signals of a sexual nature, delivered in person, online or via telephone." It also bans forced marriages.

In a statement on the law's passing, Bassima Hakkaoui, the country's minister of women's affairs, said the ruling is "one of the most important texts strengthening the national legal arsenal in the area of equality of the sexes."

Though the law is considered a step in the right direction, several Moroccan women's rights expressed disappointment in the new legislation, highlighting the fact that it does not explicitly criminalize marital rape.

In April 2018, the UAE's Cabinet approved a bill that guarantees equal pay for men and women in the workforce. 

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai's ruler, made the announcement via a tweet which reads:

"With the strength and rule of the law, we do not want any exceptions in providing equal opportunities for both sexes. Our Constitution ensures equal rights among the sexes and we seek to enforce and guarantee this right through the new law."

The bill needs to be presented to the country's advisory federal national council for final approval. 

In May 2018, Saudi Arabia's 150-seat Shura Council passed a long-awaited anti-harassment law, with a majority of 84 votes.

This came nearly a year after King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud ordered the legislation's drafting in 2017. 

According to the BBC, the law aims to "fight the crime of harassment, prevent it, punish perpetrators and protect victims in order to preserve the privacy, dignity and individual freedoms as guaranteed by Islamic jurisprudence and regulations in place."

In addition, the legislation also carries a maximum penalty of up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $80,000.

In June 2018, Lebanon's state prosecutor ordered district attorneys to refrain from detaining drug offenders and instead subject them to rehabilitation.

At the time, Judge Samir Hammoud issued a binding circular urging the country's prosecutors to immediately transfer drug users to the Drug Addiction Committee.

The circular obliges prosecutors to apply Law 376, which states that the latter could subject drug users to rehabilitation and gives defendants the right to request treatment during their trial.

The law also stipulates that in both cases, defendants would no longer be prosecuted if the committee confirms they have fully recovered.

Under the decision, a potential state prosecution could still be resumed only "if the drug user fails to follow through on his treatment."

In February 2018, Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Justice announced it will no longer be applying a law that forces women who leave their marital homes to go back to their husbands. 

Under the legal decision, Saudi legislators stated they will refer to article 75 of the kingdom's laws when dealing with divorce cases. 

The article states that "sentences forcing a woman to return to her marital home shall not be applied."

According to Okaz newspaper, a husband whose wife refuses to go back home after asking for a divorce will now be faced with two options, either to divorce her amicably or have the case transferred to court.

In September 2018, Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Education announced it will prosecute parents who don't send their young children to school. 

In a statement on the matter, the authority said any parent with a child in primary school who has an absence rate of over 30 percent will be referred to the center of child abuse.

The announcement came just weeks after the country's public prosecution stated that not providing a child with the opportunity to access education constitutes a violation of the kingdom's child protection law.