The Uttarakhand committee on Uniform Civil Code conducted a comprehensive examination of several nations, including those with Muslim-majority populations, that have implemented similar changes aimed at achieving equality between men and women. The panel also analyzed the diverse paths of constitutional and legal reforms in personal laws and gender justice across various religions in India, encompassing Hinduism, Christianity, and Islam.

During the assessments, the panel specifically focused on personal law reforms made by Muslim-majority nations, such as Turkey, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Bangladesh, and western democracies like France, Germany, and the USA.

Turkey amended its civil code in 2002 to further promote gender equality, introducing provisions for equal property rights and decision-making powers for both men and women in marriage. It also raised the minimum age for marriage to 18 for both genders.

Bangladesh implemented laws to legalize divorces and introduced clauses to prevent child marriage. The country also set the minimum age for women to 18, terming marriages involving younger ages as a punishable offense.

Nepal reformed its civil code in 2018, banning polygamy and requiring marriage registration. The country also gave greater importance to women in marriage and custody issues.

Indonesia mandates registration of all marriages and requires judicial intervention for divorce, including the traditional verbal ‘talaq’.

Azerbaijan modernized its family code with compulsory marriage registration and equal property rights for both spouses.

Saudi Arabia initiated codification of its personal law in 2022, introducing provisions for marriage and divorce registration and improving the mother’s position in custody matters.

The public consultation conducted by the Uttarakhand UCC panel showed overwhelming support for banning polygamy and making marriage and divorce registration mandatory. The public also expressed concerns about live-in relationships and advocated for their registration to prevent fraud, blackmail, and false rape cases.