The government in Iraq wants to severely restrict women’s rights. Among other things, the age of consent for marriage should be lowered to nine years – this would allow men to marry with small children. In addition, women’s rights to divorce, custody and inheritance should be taken away.
The draft law is causing international outrage: several conservative Shia parties plan to change the law on personal status, thereby restricting the freedoms and rights of girls and women.
Law 188 of 1959 attempted to fairly regulate gender relations: polygamy was banned and the marriage age was raised to 18 years. Registration of marriages with government authorities is mandatory. It insures custody rights and claims for alimony or dowry. It is one of the most progressive legislations in the Middle East.
If the government’s plans go according to their plans, these “privileges” will now be massively curtailed. Women should no longer have the right to divorce, custody and inheritance. The reason for this move is quite bizarre: “Young girls are protected from immoral relationships,” as the Shiite parties explain, according to the Telegraph.
Legislative changes have a good chance of being implemented
In 2014 and 2017, attempts to change the personal status law failed. The pushback from Iraqi women was too great. But the political situation has now changed: the coalition has a large majority in parliament and could implement the change. “It has never been so close,” Renad Mansour, an expert at the British think tank Chatham House, explains to the British newspaper. “The bill has more momentum than ever before, especially from the Shia parties.”
Measure would “eliminate women’s rights”
Experts are alarmed. “The change would not only undermine these rights,” said Sarah Sanbar, Iraq researcher at Human Rights Watch. “It would wipe them out.”
Child marriage is already possible in Iraq
Despite Law 188, the number of child marriages in Iraq is high. According to the UNICEF children’s fund, 28 percent of Iraqi women are married by the age of 18. This is due to a gap in personal status legislation. With the father’s consent, the marriage of 15-year-old girls is possible if it is conducted by a religious leader rather than a court. These marriages are not registered and therefore not legally recognized – the women are therefore denied numerous rights.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
