Page 24 Ending Sex Discrimination in the Law EQUALITY NOW – BEIJING+25 KENYA The Marriage Act No. 4 of 2014: Section 2. In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires— ”polygamy” means the state or practice of a man having more than one wife simultaneously. Section 3. (1) Marriage is the voluntary union of a man and a woman whether in a monogamous or polygamous union and registered in accordance with this Act . . . (3) All marriages registered under this Act have the same legal status. Section 6. (1) A marriage may be registered under this Act if it is celebrated . . . (c) in accordance with the customary rites relating to any of the communities in Kenya . . . (3) A marriage celebrated under customary law or Islamic law is presumed to be polygamous or potentially polygamous. Take Action – Kenya President Uhuru Kenyatta Office of the President State House Statehouse Road, P.O. Box 40530 00100 Nairobi KENYA Email: ads@mygov.go.ke info@kenyaun.org (Mission to the UN in New York) Email Portal: www.president.go.ke/pages/contact/ Twitter: @UKenyatta Facebook: facebook.com/StateHouseKenya Note: Article 27 of the Constitution of Kenya: (1) Every person is equal before the law and has the right to equal protection and equal benefit of the law… (3) Women and men have the right to equal treatment, including the right to equal opportunities in political, economic, cultural and social spheres. However, this right is limited by Article 24(3) of the Constitution of Kenya: The provisions of this Chapter on equality shall be qualified to the extent strictly necessary for the application of Muslim law before the Kadhis’ courts, to persons who profess the Muslim religion, in matters relating to personal status, marriage, divorce and inheritance. LEBANON Personal Status Law of the Catholic Sects, 1949: Article 123: Breastfeeding concerns the mother. The other rights and duties of the parental authority are, in principle, confined to the father. These rights and duties are passed to the mother if the father is deprived of these responsibilities provided that the mother is proved to be eligible by the court and the court provides the mother a notice about the transfer of these responsibilities to her. Take Action – Lebanon President Michael Aoun Beirut LEBANON Email: president_office@presidency.gov.lb Twitter: @General_Aoun Facebook: facebook.com/LBpresidency/ Article 124: The duration of breastfeeding is two years. Article 125: A mother loses custody of her child for the following: A: if she is recalcitrant, or behaving badly B: if she is not capable of raising and rearing her child C: if she caused the lack of joint marital life D: if she changes her religion, or changes her Catholic sect E: if she remarries after the dissolution of the marriage, or the death of her husband.