Iraq Bill Proposes Allowing Men to Marry 9 year Old Girls

Iraq on Verge of Passing New Law

Major amendments are going to be made to the marriage law in Iraq. According to the proposed bill, men will be allowed by law to marry girls of 9 years of age. Apart from this, women are set to be deprived of the right to divorce, child care and inheritance. With the talk of the bill coming out, there has been outrage among rights activists. Parliament is working to amend the country's Personal Status Act, known as Law 188. 

Amendments Lined Up with Islamic Sharia law: Govt

Several media reports have said that the bill will allow the public to choose religious authorities or the civilian judiciary to make decisions in family cases. The Shia party-led coalition government has said the proposed amendments are in line with the strict interpretation of Islamic Sharia law that aims to pass the proposed amendments in an attempt to protect girls from "immoral relationships".

Concerns About Women's Legal Protection

The proposed change raises concerns about women's legal protection. Dr Renaud Mansour of think tank Chatham House warned that the move was a broader push to consolidate the religious right and tighten the grip on power. Activists fear that the amendment will weaken gender equality in the country. The communal divide will widen. Women's rights groups such as 'Coalition 188' have described the government's efforts as legitimizing "child rape".

Concerns About Bill ?

Iraq has been criticized domestically and internationally for this proposal. Sarah Sunbar of Human Rights Watch said the changes would deepen social divisions. This will make women more vulnerable to abuse. Many Iraqis worry it will affect decades of social progress.

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