Since September 2010, stoning has been a legal punishment in countries such as Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Iran, Yemen, the United Arab Emirates, and some states of Nigeria[59] as punishment for zina al-mohsena (“adultery of married persons”). [60] A wife is a woman in a conjugal relationship. A woman who has separated from her partner remains a wife until the marriage is legally dissolved by a divorce decree. After the death of her partner, a woman is called a widow. A wife`s rights and duties towards her partner and her status in the community and in the law vary from culture to culture and have changed over time. In ancient Rome, Emperor Augustus introduced marriage legislation that rewarded the Lex Papia Poppaea, marriage, and having children. The legislation also provides for penalties for young people who do not marry and for those who have committed adultery. Therefore, marriage and having children between the ages of twenty-five and sixty became law for men and twenty and fifty for women. [17] Women who were Vestal virgins were selected between the ages of 6 and 10 to serve as priestesses in the temple of the goddess Vesta in the Roman Forum for 30 years.
[18] It was known that noble women married as early as age 12,[19] while lower-class women tended to marry a little further into their teens. [20] [21] Ancient Roman law required wives to be at least 12 years old, a norm adopted by Roman Catholic canon law. The majority of states limit people to one living husband or wife at a time and do not issue marriage licenses to anyone with a living spouse. Once a person is married, they must be legally released from the relationship by death, divorce, or annulment before they can remarry. Other restrictions for individuals include age and close relationship. In some cultures, particularly in the English-speaking West, wives often change their surname to that of the husband when they marry. For some, it is a controversial practice because it is associated with the historical doctrine of obfuscation and the historically subordinate roles of wives. Others argue that today it is just a harmless tradition that should be accepted as a free choice.
[9] Some jurisdictions consider this practice discriminatory and contrary to women`s rights and have restricted or prohibited it; For example, since 1983, when Greece adopted a new marriage law guaranteeing gender equality between spouses[10], Greek women have had to keep their maiden name throughout their lives. [11] In the Philippine legal system, cohabitation also has a separate criminal use in the revised Penal Code of 1930, which refers to adultery. This is very different from other legal uses. If her spouse is in a coma after an accident, a woman may have the right to intercede. [48] If she divorces, she can also receive or pay child support (see Law and Divorce in the World). In some parts of the world, adultery can lead to acts of violence such as honor killings or stoning. Some jurisdictions, particularly those that apply Sharia law, allow such actions to take place legally. [ref. needed] Marriage may be revoked by divorce, annulment or death of one of the spouses. In the case of divorce, terminology such as wife or ex-wife is often used.