Iraq proposes a law to lower the marriage age for girls to 9

The Iraqi parliament has received a contentious draft that may lower the age of lawful marriage for females to 9 and for boys to 15.

The proposed measure also gives residents the option to settle family matters through either religious authority or the civil system, which has raised a lot of worries about how it may be abused to sabotage divorce, child custody, and inheritance cases.

The most concerning aspect of the plan is that the Personal Status Law in the nation states that the legal marriage age is eighteen; this law may clearly change that.

According to Human Rights watch (HRW) researcher Sarah Sanbar, "passing this law would show a country moving backwards, not forwards," in an interview with news agency AFP.

Earlier this year, Sanbar's group issued a warning, claiming that religious leaders in iraq are breaking the law by performing thousands of unregistered marriages annually, including child marriages.

In iraq, child marriage has long been a problem. 28 percent of women between the ages of 20 and 24 married before becoming 18 years old, according to UNICEF. Furthermore, 7% of these ladies got married before turning fifteen.

The amendment, according to Amal Kabashi of the advocacy organisation iraq Women's Network, "provides huge leeway for male dominance over family issues" in a country that is already highly traditional.

Late in July, the measure was pulled from parliament due to strong opposition from legislators. With the backing of influential Shiite blocs, it was resurrected on august 4.

The bill's sponsor, mp Raed al-Maliki, has ruled out any chance to lower the legal marriage age. The legislator has a history of bringing up controversial issues; in the past, he has called for the criminalization of homosexuality and sex-reassignment surgery.
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Sudha Subbiah

09/08/2024 09:52 PM