A Bill which seeks to reduce the legal age of marriage for girls to 9 from the present 18 years has been placed before the Iraqi parliament and has evoked widespread global outrage and concern.
The controversial bill has been introduced by the Iraq Justice Ministry and intends to amend the country’s Personal Status Law, which currently sets the minimum age for marriage at 18.
The bill also gives a choice to the citizens to seek religious authorities or the civil judiciary to decide on family affairs.
Human rights experts have assailed the bill and contend that it will lead to an erosion of rights in the matter of inheritance, divorce, and child custody.
Iraq Proposes Bill Allowing 9-year-old Girls to be Married
The bill, if passed by the Iraqi Parliament, will allow girls as young as 9 and boys as young as 15 to marry.
Women rights groups have condemned the bill and said that it will lead to increased instances of Child Marriage and exploitation.
The move will also set back decades of progress in promoting women’s rights and gender equality.
The bill has been bitterly opposed by Human rights groups, women rights groups and civil society activists.
Experts warn that the move will have a detrimental effect for young girls’ education, health, and well-being.
Experts also point out that child marriage leads to increased dropouts from school, early pregnancies and also increased instances of domestic violence.
As per the data released by the United Nations children’s agency, UNICEF, a whopping 28% of girls in Iraq are already married before they reach the stipulated age of 18 years by law.
Human Rights Watch (HRW) researcher Sarah Sanbar said,
“Passing this law would show a country moving backward, not forwards,”
Amal Kabashi of the Iraq Women’s Network also condemned the bill and said that it will give a free path for male dominance over family issues in an already conservative society.
The bill was first placed before the Parliament in July but it was opposed by lawmakers and the proposed changes were withdrawn.
However, the bill got the nod of the powerful Shia blocs that dominate the chamber and it was again placed in the August 4 session.
The present laws were framed in 1959 after the fall of the Iraqi monarchy which transferred family law authority from religious figures to the state judiciary.
However, the new bill will once again reintroduce the option to apply religious rules, primarily from Shia and Sunni Islam.
However, no provisions have been made for other religious or sectarian communities within Iraq’s diverse population like the Christians or the Kurds.
The supporters of the bill claim that it will bring uniformity in Islamic Laws and also protect young girls from “immoral relationships.”
The detractors of the bill however contend that it ignores the harsh realities of child marriage.
Experts also warn that by giving power over marriage to religious authorities, the principle of equality under Iraqi law will be compromised.
Also Read: Elon Musk’s Daughter Vivian Jenna Wilson Calls Out His Character and Ethics in Blistering Critique
