Iraq is on the verge of revising its marriage laws as per which a nine-year-old female will be considered eligible for marriage. Dominant Shia Muslim parties in Parliament effectively push through such a change. But critics are outraged, saying that the amendment moves the country backwards on generations of women’s rights work.
The current law, Law 188, was enacted in 1959 as a protection of family rights by a state judiciary. The legal age of marriage was set at 18 years to restrict further child marriages. However, Shia lawmakers claim the proposed amendment remains within the ambit of a more literal interpretation of Islamic law and protects young girls from “immoral relationships.”
Renad Mansour, a senior fellow at Chatham House, characterized the passing of this law as unprecedented. “This is the closest it’s ever been to passing,” he said, attributing the push to specific Shia factions seeking to bolster their ideological influence.
New child marriage laws in Iraq may deprive women of their rights
If approved, the amendment would deprive women of their fundamental rights such as divorce, custody of children, and inheritances. Critics also fear Iraq’s child marriage law will expose girls to sexual and corporal abuse. Human rights groups have denounced the measure, arguing that it endangers youths who are vulnerable.
Similar efforts have not succeeded in the past, but this draft has created an unprecedented movement. In September, parliamentarians passed a second reading of the amendment, which brings it closer to implementation.
28% of girls in Iraq get married before 18
UNICEF estimates that 28 per cent of girls in Iraq are already married before reaching the age of 18. Legal loopholes in religions permit clergymen to solemnize underage marriages as long as the marriage is validated by parents.
International and national critics continue to voice their protests. Advocates of human rights argue that the redrafting of the child marriage law of Iraq is a step back and an infringement upon the rights of women, as it puts at risk thousands of young girls’ safety.
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