Iraq Bill Proposing Lowering Girls' Marriage Age To 9 Sparks Row. ‘Country Moving Backwards,’ Warns Human Rights Watch

The bill allows citizens to choose between religious authorities and the civil judiciary for family matters, raising fears of reduced rights for women in areas such as inheritance, divorce, and child custody.

A proposed bill in Iraq has caused widespread alarm, particularly among activists, as it seeks to lower the legal marriage age for girls to potentially as young as "9 years". Rights advocates are deeply concerned about the bill, which was introduced in the parliament of Iraq. They fear it could roll back the rights of women and lead to an increase in underage marriages in the already patriarchal society.

The proposed bill would allow citizens to choose between religious authorities and the civil judiciary to handle family matters, news agency AFP reported. Critics worry that this could result in reduced rights in areas like inheritance, divorce, and child custody.

The particular concern is the potential elimination of the minimum marriage age for Muslim girls, currently set at 18 under the 1959 Personal Status Law—a claim that lawmakers supporting the bill have denied.

As per the report of UNICEF, 28 per cent of girls in Iraq are already married before they turn 18. “Passing this law would show a country moving backwards, not forwards,” Human Rights Watch (HRW) researcher Sarah Sanbar said, AFP reported.

Activists Planning Protest In Baghdad

Amal Kabashi, from the Iraq Women’s Network, criticised the amendment, stating that it "gives significant leeway for male dominance over family issues" in an already conservative society. Activists have protested against the proposed changes and were planning further demonstrations in Baghdad later on Thursday.

The 1959 law, which was enacted shortly after the fall of the Iraqi monarchy, shifted the authority over family matters from religious authorities to the state judiciary. The new amendment, supported by conservative Shiite Muslim deputies, appears to weaken this shift by allowing the enforcement of religious rules, particularly for Shiite and Sunni Muslims, without addressing the rights of other religious or sectarian groups in the diverse population of Iraq.

After facing backlash from many lawmakers, the proposed changes were withdrawn in late July but reemerged in an August 4 session with the backing of powerful Shiite blocs that dominate the parliament.