Marie Michael Library

500

DVD

In southern India, family disputes are settled by Jamaats, all male bodies which apply Islamic Sharia law to cases, without allowing women to be present or defend themselves.  In 2004, a group of women established a women's Jamaat which grew to a network of 12,000 members spread over 12 districts. Despite resistance, they have settled thousands of cases, ranging from divorce to wife beating and brutal murders.  This film follows several cases, exploring how the women's Jamaat has acquired power through both communal education and the leaders' investigation of the crimes.