Proposed amendments to Iraq’s marriage laws have sparked widespread condemnation, as they could lower the legal marriage age for girls to as young as nine years old. These changes, backed by certain conservative religious factions, are seen as part of a broader movement to increase clerical control over personal status laws.
Under the suggested amendments, legal protections for minors against early marriage would be weakened, leaving young girls vulnerable to forced marriages with limited legal recourse. Human rights activists within and outside iraq have expressed grave concerns, arguing that such a law would undermine children’s rights and put young girls at severe physical, psychological, and social risk.
Critics argue that these amendments threaten to reverse decades of progress in protecting women’s and children’s rights in Iraq. Allowing girls as young as nine to be married would deprive them of their childhood, as marriage often brings responsibilities that children are neither physically nor emotionally prepared to handle.
Health risks are a significant concern, as young girls are at higher risk for complications during pregnancy and childbirth. Additionally, early marriages limit educational opportunities for girls, trapping them in cycles of poverty and dependency that affect not only their own lives but also those of future generations. Many Iraqis fear that these laws, if passed, will cement gender inequality, making it nearly impossible for young women to achieve economic independence or social mobility.
Under the suggested amendments, legal protections for minors against early marriage would be weakened, leaving young girls vulnerable to forced marriages with limited legal recourse. Human rights activists within and outside iraq have expressed grave concerns, arguing that such a law would undermine children’s rights and put young girls at severe physical, psychological, and social risk.
Critics argue that these amendments threaten to reverse decades of progress in protecting women’s and children’s rights in Iraq. Allowing girls as young as nine to be married would deprive them of their childhood, as marriage often brings responsibilities that children are neither physically nor emotionally prepared to handle.
Health risks are a significant concern, as young girls are at higher risk for complications during pregnancy and childbirth. Additionally, early marriages limit educational opportunities for girls, trapping them in cycles of poverty and dependency that affect not only their own lives but also those of future generations. Many Iraqis fear that these laws, if passed, will cement gender inequality, making it nearly impossible for young women to achieve economic independence or social mobility.
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