A proposed bill in Iraq’s parliament is causing widespread concern. The bill aims to lower the legal age for girls to marry from 18 to just 9 years old. Introduced by the Iraq Justice Ministry, it seeks to amend the country’s Personal Status Law. Currently, the law sets the minimum marriage age at 18.
The proposed bill would allow girls as young as 9 and boys as young as 15 to marry. Critics worry this could lead to more child marriages and exploitation, undermining progress made in women’s rights and gender equality. They argue that such a law would negatively impact young girls’ education, health, and overall well-being. Child marriages often result in higher dropout rates, early pregnancies, and increased domestic violence.
The United Nations children’s agency, UNICEF, reports that 28 percent of girls in Iraq are already married before turning 18. Human Rights Watch researcher Sarah Sanbar said, “Passing this law would show a country moving backward, not forwards.”
Amal Kabashi from the Iraq Women’s Network also criticized the bill, saying it “provides huge leeway for male dominance over family issues” in a society that is already conservative. The proposed changes would mark a shift from the 1959 legislation, which moved family law authority from religious figures to the state judiciary. This new bill would reintroduce the option to follow religious rules from Shia and Sunni Islam but does not address other religious or sectarian groups in Iraq.
Supporters of the bill argue it aims to standardize Islamic law and protect young girls from “immoral relationships.” However, opponents believe this reasoning is flawed and does not consider the negative effects of child marriage. Sarah Sanbar of HRW said, “It could legalize the marriage of girls as young as nine years old, stealing the futures and well-being of countless girls.” She added, “Girls belong on the playground and in school, not in a wedding dress.”
It remains uncertain if this attempt to change the law will succeed where previous efforts have failed.
