Iraq is all set to pass legal amendments to the country’s marriage law that will allow men to marry girls as young as nine.
The coalition government said the proposed amendment is in line with strict interpretation of Islamic Sharia law and aims to “protect” young girls.
The government, with parliamentary majority, is expected to push through the legislation despite opposition from Iraqi women groups.
Parliament proposed similar amendments to the Personal Status Law in 2014 and again in 2017, both of which failed to pass.
As if this was not enough, the country is also proposing amendments to deprive women of the right to divorce, child custody and inheritance.
Child marriages in Iraq
Unregistered marriages are already a loophole enabling child marriage in Iraq, where child marriage rates have been rising over the last 20 years, said Human Rights Watch.
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) reported that 28 per cent of girls in Iraq are married before age 18. According to the UN Assistance Mission in Iraq, 22 per cent of unregistered marriages involved girls under age 14.
Iraqi rights groups and activists have taken to the streets to protest the amendment, and a group of more than 15 women parliament members from diverse parties have come together to oppose its passage.
Human Rights Watch said the amendment would put young girls at increased risk of sexual and physical violence, and also deny access to education and employment.
