New Delhi:
A proposed bill in Iraq's parliament has sparked widespread outrage and concern as it seeks to lower the legal age of marriage for girls to 9. The controversial bill, submitted by Iraq's Justice Ministry, seeks to amend the country's Personal Status Law, which currently sets the minimum age for marriage at 18.
The bill would allow citizens to choose between religious authorities or civil courts to resolve family matters. Critics fear it would curtail rights in matters of inheritance, divorce and child custody.
If passed, the bill would allow girls as young as 9 and boys as young as 15 to marry, raising concerns about an increase in child marriage and exploitation. Critics say the regressive move would undermine decades of progress in advancing women's rights and gender equality.
Rights groups, women's groups and civil society activists have strongly opposed the bill, warning of serious consequences for the education, health and well-being of young girls. They say child marriage leads to higher school dropout rates, early pregnancies and increased risk of domestic violence.
According to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), 28 percent of girls in Iraq are married before they reach 18.
“Passing this law would show that the country is moving backward, not forward,” said Human Rights Watch (HRW) researcher Sarah Sanbar.
Amal Kabashi of the Iraqi Women's Network also spoke out strongly against it, saying the amendment “gives enormous leeway to male dominance in family matters” in an already conservative society.
Parliament withdrew the proposed changes in late July after many lawmakers objected. They reappeared in session on August 4 after winning support from the powerful Shiite blocs that dominate the chamber.
The proposed changes would mark a departure from a 1959 law that, passed after the fall of the Iraqi monarchy, transferred family law authority from religious leaders to the state court system. The new bill would reintroduce religious rules, primarily from Shia and Sunni Islam, but makes no mention of other religious or sectarian communities among Iraq’s diverse population.
Supporters of the bill say it aims to standardise Islamic law and protect young girls from “immoral relationships”. But opponents say this line of reasoning is flawed and ignores the harsh reality of child marriage.
By giving authority over marriage to religious authorities, the amendment would “undermine the principle of equality under Iraqi law,” HRW's Sanbar said.
It also “could legalise the marriage of girls as young as nine, robbing the future and well-being of countless girls.”
“Girls belong on the playground and in school, not in a wedding dress,” she said.
It is unclear whether this attempt to change the law will be successful, given that several previous attempts have failed.