Baghdad, Iraq
9th August, 2024.
In a move that has ignited widespread condemnation, Iraq’s parliament is considering a highly controversial bill that would lower the legal age of marriage for girls from 15 to just 9 years old. The proposed legislation has drawn fierce criticism from human rights organizations, women’s groups, and civil society activists, who warn that it could have devastating consequences for the education, health, and well-being of young girls across the country.
The bill, introduced by Iraq’s Ministry of Justice, seeks to amend the nation’s Personal Status Law, which currently sets the minimum age for marriage at 18, with provisions allowing girls as young as 15 to marry under certain circumstances. If passed, the new law would permit girls as young as 9 and boys as young as 15 to wed. This change would also allow families the choice of having family matters decided either by religious authorities or by the civil judiciary, a shift that has raised alarms among those concerned about the rights of women and children.
The proposal has been met with intense backlash, both domestically and internationally. Critics argue that the law would be a severe regression for women’s rights in Iraq, undoing years of progress toward gender equality. Human rights organizations have sounded the alarm, noting that child marriage is associated with higher dropout rates from school, early and often dangerous pregnancies, and an increased risk of domestic violence.
Sarah Sanbar, a researcher at Human Rights Watch, described the proposed legislation as a dangerous step backward for the country. “Child marriage is a violation of human rights,” Sanbar stated, “and this bill would push Iraq back decades in terms of progress on gender equality.”
Amal Kabashi, a leading voice in the Iraq Women’s Network, also expressed strong opposition, warning that the bill could exacerbate male dominance in family matters within an already conservative society. The United Nations children’s agency, UNICEF, has similarly raised concerns, highlighting that nearly 28 percent of girls in Iraq are already married before the age of 18, a figure that could rise sharply if the law is passed.This legislative push marks a stark departure from Iraq’s 1959 Personal Status Law, which had placed family law matters under the jurisdiction of state courts rather than religious authorities. The new bill seeks to reintroduce religious rules into family law, drawing primarily from Shia and Sunni Islamic traditions, without offering clear provisions for other religious or sectarian communities within Iraq’s diverse population.
Proponents of the bill argue that it is intended to bring family law in line with Islamic principles and to protect young girls from what they describe as “immoral relationships.” However, opponents counter that these justifications ignore the real and harmful impacts of child marriage.
As Iraq’s parliament continues to debate this highly contentious bill, both local activists and the international community are calling for the protection of children’s rights and the preservation of progress made in gender equality. The outcome of this legislative process will have profound and far-reaching implications for the future of young girls in Iraq.
Resources:
2.https://images.dawn.com/news/1192632/iraq-prepares-bill-lowering-marriage-age-for-girls-to-nine
7.https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/proposed-iraq-law-would-allow-girls-as-young-as-9/