By 
19-08-2024
Hannah Wohlbold
Women’s Rights Researcher,
Global Human Rights Defence.
A highly controversial draft law in Iraq proposes to amend the country’s Personal Status Law to lower the legal age of marriage for girls from 18 to just nine, and for boys to 15 (The Economic Times, 2024). This drastic move has caused international concern, with fears that it will lead to an increase in child marriages and have serious consequences for the rights and well-being of young girls in Iraq.
According to UNICEF, despite legal protections in many countries, around 12 million girls worldwide are married before the age of 18 each year. If passed, the Iraqi bill could contribute to this worrying global problem and further jeopardise the lives and futures of young girls (Charbonneau, 2021). Currently, the legal age of marriage in Iraq is 18. However, a significant proportion of marriages in the country are reported to be unregistered (Human Rights Watch, 2024). This suggests that some of these marriages involve minors or have been entered into without mutual consent. The new law therefore increases the risk that many more young girls will end up in forced marriages and suffer lifelong negative consequences.
The bill has been strongly criticised by national and international human rights organisations. Under the name “Alliance 188”, human rights activists and defenders are calling on the Iraqi government to reconsider the law, stressing the need to protect children and comply with international human rights standards (Schaer, 2024). The groups argue that allowing marriage at such a young age is a serious violation of young girls’ rights and can lead to significant physical, psychological and social harm. The proposal is also seen as a general step backwards for women’s rights in Iraq, potentially reversing years of progress towards gender equality and child protection. As well as causing outrage, the draft law has reignited a wider debate about the role of women and girls in Iraqi society and the importance of protecting their rights.
As discussions on the draft law are still ongoing, the outcome remains uncertain. However, the proposal has already highlighted the difficulties of ensuring gender equality and the protection of vulnerable groups in Iraq.
Sources and Further Readings:
Charbonneau, N. (2021, November 23). Kinderehen weltweit: Die wichtigsten Fragen und Antworten. UNICEF. Accessed 14 August 2024.
https://www.unicef.de/informieren/aktuelles/blog/-/kinderehen-weltweit-fragen-und-antworten/274028
Human Rights Watch. (2024, August 16). Iraq: Parliament Poised to Legalize Child Marriage. Human Rights Watch. Accessed 17 August 2024.
https://www.hrw.org/news/2024/08/16/iraq-parliament-poised-legalize-child-marriage
Mashat, Z. A., & Jaffal, O. A. (2024, August 9). Draft Iraqi law allowing 9-year-olds to marry would ‘legalise child rape’, say activists. The Guardian. Accessed 14 August 2024. https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/article/2024/aug/09/proposed-iraqi-law-change-would-legalise-child-say-activists
mena-watch. (2024, August 6). Im Irak droht eine deutliche Schlechterstellung von Frauen. mena-watch. Accessed 13 August 2024.
https://www.mena-watch.com/im-irak-schlechterstellung-von-frauen/
Schaer, C. (2024, August 14). Iraqi bill would roll back women’s and children’s rights. Deutsche Welle. Accessed 16 August 2024.
https://www.dw.com/en/iraqi-bill-would-roll-back-womens-and-childrens-rights/a-69930870
The Economic Times. (2024, August 9). Iraq plans to lower the marriage age for girls to nine: Here’re the other proposed controversial changes—The Economic Times. The Economic Times. Accessed 13 August 2024.
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/new-updates/iraq-plans-to-lower-the-marriage-age-for-girls-to-nine-herere-the-other-proposed-controversial-changes/articleshow/112399995.cms?from=mdr
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