Women’s contribution to family wealth remains excluded from legal recognition in MENA

Organisations from Egypt and Bahrain call for family law reforms to ensure economic justice 

Cairo, Egypt: Matrimonial wealth distribution and wives’ financial rights in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) were at the centre of discussion in the regional webinar launched by Hurra Coalition on Wednesday, April 29, 2026, under the title: ‘Matrimonial wealth distribution among spouses: Egypt-Bahrain’ 

The webinar centred on the concept of matrimonial wealth, which refers to the funds and assets accumulated during the marriage through the joint efforts of spouses. This includes domestic and care work undertaken by women, which still lacks legal recognition in the region. 

The webinar brought together legal experts and Hurra Coalition members from Egypt and Bahrain to discuss women’s financial rights inside the family. The event was one of a series of joint regional activities organised by the Hurra Coalition, which has 15 member organisations in over 9 countries, working to reform family laws and end discrimination against all women and girls within families throughout the MENA region.

Matrimonial wealth in the Middle East and North Africa

Hala Abdel Kader, the Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Egyptian Foundation for Family Development, pointed out that “the issue of matrimonial wealth is significantly underdiscussed”,  leaving women deprived of their economic rights. 

The discussions highlighted the gap between social reality, where women actively contribute – whether through paid work outside the home or unpaid domestic and care work – to constructing the family wealth, yet legal frameworks only recognise direct financial contributions.

Mariam Al Rowaie, the Director of Tafawuq Consulting Center for Development in Bahrain, emphasised that, “Sharia law acknowledges the wife’s contribution to family wealth through the concept of Al-Kadd wa Al-Se‘aya”, which is the right to toil and effort. This principle is derived from the Islamic jurisprudence (Fiqh) and is used by several Islamic countries, such as Malaysia, Indonesia, Morocco, and Tunisia, to legislate a woman’s right to a share of the wealth she contributed to building during marriage.” 

Family law reform in the Middle East and North Africa 

From Egypt, human rights lawyer and legal expert Mahmoud Abdel Fattah highlighted the rigidity of Egypt’s Personal Status Law, explaining that it has “lost its ability to keep pace with the social changes” that Egypt has witnessed during the last century. This includes the upsurge in husbands migrating abroad to work, which has placed greater responsibility on wives  to manage family affairs. More women have entered the labour market, and they have contributed to the development of family wealth through both paid employment and unpaid work in the home.

The webinar concluded with a set of recommendations that included legitimising the concept of shared matrimonial wealth following the lead of other Islamic countries, such as Tunisia, Turkey, and Malaysia. Experts also called for care and domestic work to be legally recognised as a major economic contribution to family wealth, and the need to integrate financial agreements into marriage contracts to guarantee the rights of both parties was highlighted.

It is noteworthy that the Egyptian Parliament has received a draft for a new Personal Status Law on Monday, May 4, 2026, which includes suggestions for major amendments in personal status legislation in Egypt. The draft that was submitted by the Egyptian Government,  covers several areas that Equality Now and its Hurra partners have been advocating to reform. This includes fair distribution of matrimonial wealth, shared custody, and measures that ensure better access to justice for family members with disability, amongst other things.

Watch the full recording of the webinar.