Iraq receives extensive criticism due to its recent adoption of a personal status law amendment allowing religious courts to approve marriages of girls starting from nine years old. Throughout the world human rights organizations together with global bodies and activists strongly oppose the new amendment due to its negative impact on historical progress towards women and children protection.
One result of the new law gives religious institutions control over family legal issues from marriage to divorce to child protection matters. This legislation eliminates a prohibition against child marriage which existed since the 1950s that protected underage children from marrying. The amendment arranges less comprehensive safeguards for women and children which creates new opportunities for administrators to harm them across significant time periods.
Implementing this amendment represents a major negative development for Iraq according to Hanaa Edwar a well-known Iraqi advocate for human rights. The government’s decision to approve child marriage harms its most defenseless population and will produce extended patterns of social chaos and violence and economic disparities.
The legislative modification brings extensive consequences which negatively affect Iraqi women’s legal rights. The legal amendment grants permission for child marriage and at the same time limits women from accessing basic rights like divorce and child custody together with inheritance. These modifications create additional risks which harm women and girls while Iraq faces major economic problems together with ongoing unrest and persistent war scars.
Human rights groups have quickly rebuked the move. Amnesty International called the amendment “a grave violation of human rights” that “exposes girls to unimaginable risks.” UNICEF said it was “deeply concerned” to hear of the new data, which it said deprived girls of their childhood, education and future. “No child should be forced into marriage,” a spokesman for UNICEF said. “The health, well-being and development consequences of the practice are disastrous for children.”
The decision has also led to anger among Iraqi citizens, especially women’s rights advocates and civil-society organizations. Many say the law reflects the increasing power of conservative religious elements within Iraq’s political landscape, and encroaches upon secular and progressive values. “This is not just about child marriage; this is about controlling women and girls,” said Layla Hassan, a women’s rights activist in Baghdad. “It’s an outright assault on their autonomy and dignity.”
The amendment comes at a juncture, when Iraq is already grappling with enormous challenges, including economic strife, political division and the lingering consequences of the war against ISIS. Opponents of the new law say it would entrench existing inequalities and further marginalise women and girls, especially in rural and impoverished communities where child marriage is already rife.
“In a country struggling to rebuild and recover, this law sends a dangerous message,” said Edwar.In a way, this teaches women and girls that their rights are negotiable and their futures, therefore, can be sacrificed at the altar of political or religious purposes.
The international community has also expressed concern. The EU released a statement putting pressure on the Iraqi government to reject the amendment and uphold its commitments to human rights and gender equality. The statement went on: “The rights of women and children must be protected, not eroded. We call on the Iraqi government to reverse its decision and ensure equal justice and opportunity for all of its citizens, irrespective of gender.”
But supporters of the amendment, continuing to defend it, stated it is in line with religious and cultural traditions. “The law allows for families to make choices and acknowledges the diversity of the population of Iraq.” But, the critics countered, this argument casts aside all the insufferable consequences of child marriages posing an increased risk of domestic violence, childbearing and lack of access to education and job opportunities.
However, while the debate continues, the amendment has kept the spotlight on the larger fight for women’s rights in Iraq. For many of these activists, the fight is far from over. “We won’t wait while the very essence of our rights is stolen,” Hassan said. “This is a plea for action to everyone who believes in justice and equality.”
The passing of the law marks an important moment for Iraq with resonance for generations ahead, with the international community observing closely; then, with some hope, the voices of women, activists, and human rights defenders will be heard in unison so the rights and dignity of all Iraqis can be assured. For now, the amendment stands as a painful reminder of the work that remains undone in the struggle for gender equality and human rights in Iraq and beyond.