Iraq's proposed child marriage law ignites nationwide protests
In Iraq, the ruling authorities want to lower the age of consent for young girls from 18 to 9 years. The changes proposed by the Shiite parliament also deprive women of the rights to divorce, child custody, and inheritance.
Currently in Iraq, the established minimum age at which a person can legally give consent for sexual activities is 18. This is regulated by the Personal Status Law Code from 1959, known as the "Ja'fari Law."
However, the Iraqi parliament, dominated by ultra-conservative Shiite religious groups, plans to change these regulations. They want to lower this age from 18 to 9 years and take away more rights from women.
What does the change in law mean for Iraqi society?
The proposed changes could lead to the legalization of marriages with children under ten years old, effectively legalizing pedophilia and violence against children.
The new regulations would also allow for short-term "pleasure marriages" that could become a cover for legalizing prostitution.
Women could be forced to pay their husbands for a divorce, and their right to child custody would be limited. According to the new regulations, after a separation, the father would automatically take custody of the children. Women would also be deprived of the right to their husband's property after his death, which is currently guaranteed in Sunni legal practice.
This is a catastrophe for women
The first reading of this controversial bill took place in August and sparked protests across Iraq. "This is a catastrophe for women," commented Raya Faiq, the coordinator of a coalition of groups opposing the change in law.
"My husband and my family oppose child marriage. But imagine if my daughter gets married and my daughter’s husband wants to marry off my granddaughter as a child. The new law would allow him to do so. I would not be allowed to object,," she explained.
Al-Hassan, a prominent women's rights activist in Iraq, emphasized that the goal of protection is for the well-being of women and girls as well as the stability of society. "We are defending the rights of women and girls (and) protecting Iraqi society from disintegration and the establishment of sectarianism among the social fabric. What they aspire to in parliament is not in the interest of society, but their personal interest," she argued.
A group of 25 female members of the Iraqi parliament attempted to block the bill before the second reading, but their efforts were unsuccessful. The second debate on the bill took place on September 16, but full implementation of the new regulations requires one more reading and further parliamentary discussion.
