It has become a major concern for women and girls in Iraq after three controversial laws were recently passed by Parliament. However, the most controversial of these is the Personal Status Law, which grants courts more authority to decide on marriage, divorce, and inheritance. Critics of these laws argue that they will legalise child marriage in the country. They also claim that the laws undermine the 1959 Personal Status Law, which safeguards women’s rights in Iraq.
Currently, the minimum age for a girl’s marriage is 18, but the proposed changes to the law would give more power to clerics to decide on girls’ marriages according to their interpretation of Islamic law. According to reports, these clerics may allow girls to marry in their teens, and some may even permit marriages as young as nine years old under the Jaafari school of Islamic law, as reported by The Guardian.
A social activist and member of the Iraqi Women’s League stated that the amendment to the Personal Status Law would significantly impact the rights of women and girls. She added that it would also undermine their protection rights in matters of divorce and inheritance.
A massive brawl broke out during the passage of these laws. Some lawmakers alleged irregularities in the voting process, claiming that presenting all three laws simultaneously and pressing for an immediate vote was an attempt to push them through along with other controversial laws.
The Parliament also passed the General amnesty law which is seen as reprieve for Sunni detainees who were involved in corruption and embezzlement.
