Includes bibliographical references (pages 203-224) and index.
Abbreviations -- Introduction: women's rights in an African Muslim democracy -- A French colonial legacy : the making of Niger's legal system -- The puzzle of non-adoption : why Niger has no family code -- Bargaining for women's representation : the adoption of a gender quota -- Bringing rights home : how Niger ratified CEDAW and rejected the Maputo protocol -- Conclusion: rethinking women's activism -- Appendix: research methods -- Acknowledgments -- Notes -- Bibliography -- Index.