Iraq Introduces New Bill To Lower Marriage Age For Girls To 9

Iraq will introduce a bill that may cut down the age of marriage to 9 for girls and 15 for boys. The right advocates raised alarm bells that the bill would roll back women’s rights in an already patriarchal society and promote the prevalence of underage marriages in the country. Currently, the minimum age for marriage is 18 under the 1959 Personal Status Law.

Reportedly, the bill would allow citizens to choose between the civil judiciary or the religious authorities to make decisions on family matters.

The critics argue that the said bill could reduce protections in areas such as inheritance, divorce, and child custody. It would also remove the age restriction to marriage.

As per UNICEF, 28% of the girls in Iraq are married before they turn 18.

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Human rights activists criticized the bill and said that this law would take the country backward not forwards. This will further enhance the male dominance over family issues, critics argue.

The 1959 Personal Status Law shifted family matters from religious to state jurisdiction and worked as a cornerstone of women’s rights in Iraq. The law was passed by the Abdul-Karim Qasim government, a leftist nationalist who introduced a slew of progressive reforms.

The new bill, which is reportedly backed by the Coordination Framework – a conservative Shiite Muslims bloc, threatens to undermine the protections provided through the state jurisdiction for Shiite and Sunni Muslims. The bill does not mention other religions or sects in Iraq.

The bill was introduced in late July was temporarily withdrawn and re-emerged on August 4 with support from the Shiite blocs in the Parliament.

Right groups have opposed the bill in Iraq. Amnesty International has also voiced strong opposition to the newly introduced bill.