‘Giving women some rights could destroy society’

Egypt’s ruling Muslim Brotherhood warned that a UN declaration on women’s rights could destroy society, by allowing a woman to travel, work, and use contraception without her husband’s approval and letting her control family spending.

The Islamist movement that backs the president, Mohamed Morsi, gave 10 reasons why Muslim countries should “reject and condemn” the declaration, which the UN Commission on the Status of Women was racing to negotiate a consensus deal on by last night.

Despite two weeks of negotiations with 190 governments, the help of some 6,000 participants, and months of planning — there was still no deal as of Thursday.