Baghdad: A bill seeking to reduce the age of marriage for girls to nine has been proposed in Iraq’s Parliament.
The proposed bill. introduced by the Iraq Justice Ministry, has sparked outrage and concern.
Iraq Proposes New Law to Reduce Legal Age of Marriage for Girls to 9
In an attempt to amend the Personal Status Law of Iraq, a new law has been proposed in the Iraq Parliament, to reduce the age of marriage for girls.
As per the Personal Status Law, the minimum age of marriage for girls is 18 but the new law seeks to reduce the age to nine.
What Does the New Law by Iraq Justice Ministry Propose?
Apart from reducing the age of marriage for girls from 18 to nine, the bill would also allow the citizens to make a choice between religious authorities or civil judiciary to decide on family-related affairs.
The legal age of marriage for boys will also be reduced to 15 if the law is passed; this will lead to the an increase in child marriage, sexual harassment and exploitation.
This absolutely regressive law will also cut down on the rights with respect to divorce, child custody and inheritance; this will be a step against women empowerment and development.
Human Rights Organisations, Women’s Groups Raise Their Voice
The law has been facing a lot of backlash and outrage from human rights organisations, women’s groups and civil society activists.
The activists have been highlighting that if passed, this law will lead to increased child marriages, further leading to drop in female education, early pregnancies and a rise in domestic violence cases.
‘Legal Age of Marriage for Girls Should be Reduced to 9’: Iraq Proposes New Law world-news World News | Latest International News | Global World News | World News Today
