CR spoke with Baroness Cox to find out more

I was speaking to another lady this morning and she described how when a lady went to a Sharia court, the judge never even addressed her. She might as well have not even been there; she was invisible, he only spoke to the man.

There is a system going on that acts like a legal system, but is not officially a legal system, but many women are caught up in that system and really are suffering as a result.

Rebecca: What would you like to see the situation be like if this Bill went through?

Baroness Cox: First of all, the Bill would provide a statutory duty for official bodies; you know, the police or social workers or health visitors; when they come into contact with women, or to make sure they do come into contact with women, so everyone woman knows her rights under English law, so she knows she could go to a civil court. It would make sure they knew they could get a legally recognised marriage and she could go for help outside the Sharia system. At the moment many of them just don't know. They marry, they come into this country often from villages in countries like Pakistan or Afghanistan and often they don't speak English. They arrive here and they have no idea what their rights are. The idea is that they should know their rights and have access, if they wish to have it, to the English legal system that would give them equality before the law; it would protect them from this discrimination.

Secondly, many of them, as I mentioned, do suffer intimidation. The law brings in quite strong procedures to try to provide more help for protection for women from intimidation and coercion. Some of the practical things the Bill will do, is to help the women to know what they should get and help them to get it, if they so wish.

Rebecca: Do you have much support for this Bill?

Baroness Cox: Yes, fantastic support. At the press conference earlier this month it's not just me. There was a lovely lady, Diana Nammi who heads up this organisation for Iranian and Kurdish women, many Kurdish women's rights organisations. She helps a lot of these ladies who suffer in the kind of ways I have been describing. She's a Muslim background lady. She's now no longer a Muslim but she grew up in a Muslim family. She's not a Christian. There's Keith Porteas-Wood who is a very forceful advocate for the National Secular Society, so that again is a different input. There's also Islamic expert Jay Smith who does a lot of talking with Muslims. If you're ever in London, go to Hyde Park Corner on a Sunday afternoon, but he also speaks a lot at University Campus'. He's an expert on Islam and engages a lot with Muslims and talks of these issues with them. There was also, from the group who supported us, members of the Sikh community. Many of them are concerned about this issue. We have a good broad based coalition of people who supported the Bill at the press conference and many members of the House of Lords came to a briefing for Peers and many of them expressed their support for the Bill too from different parties.

If anyone wants to know more, there's a website called Equal and Free - Tackling the Oppression of Women under Sharia.

Rebecca: If anyone wants to be able to get involved in this issue what can they do?

Baroness Cox: Write to your MP and say you're delighted to know that this Bill is being introduced in the House of Lords and it would be wonderful if they could get the government to support it. There are two main reasons you can give; one is women are suffering and we need to try and help them. Secondly we shouldn't have this parallel legal system which is incompatible with our values of democracy. It needs to be discussed and it would be very good if the government would actually run with it, because if there isn't seen to be responsible debate at the centre then people will tend to, if they are worried, to join one of the more extremist groups like the BNP who are doing something about it. We really need a discussion and debate and actions in parliament and in a responsible arena.