Iraq Law Proposes Lowering Legal Marriage Age for Girls to 9

Facts

• Iraq's lawyers, activists, and human rights groups have taken to the streets to protest the Iraqi Parliament's move to revise the country's Personal Status Law, which could legalize child marriage.^[1]
• This comes after the Iraqi parliament this week completed the first reading of a bill proposing an amendment to the Personal Status Law passed in 1959, which sets the minimum age for marriage at 18.^[2]
• If passed, the bill would allow nine-year-old girls and 15-year-old boys to get married. Additionally, citizens must choose between religious leaders or civil judiciaries to decide on family affairs.^[3]
• However, lawmakers reportedly claim the law would give Iraqis the option to either abide by the 1959 law's minimum age of 18 or by religious rules, which place the legal marriage age much lower.^[4]
• Numerous marriages in Iraq are unregistered and orchestrated by religious clerics, hence illegal under the Personal Status Law. The revisions could legitimize such weddings — 22% of which reportedly involve girls below the age of 14.^[5]
• Although marriages under the age of 18 have been illegal in Iraq since the 1950s, UNICEF claims that 28% of girls are married before the legal limit.^[6]

Sources: ^[1]The National, ^[2]The Times of India, ^[3]NDTV.com, ^[4]Metro, ^[5]Middle East Eye and ^[6]Guardian.

Narratives

• Narrative A, as provided by The New Arab. This regressive law would not only limit women's constitutional rights in matters of inheritance, divorce, and child custody but also deepen societal divisions along religious and sectarian lines. It would also normalize child and misyar marriages and increase early pregnancies and a heightened risk of domestic violence. These degrading proposals must be reviewed to protect women and children.
• Narrative A, as provided by The National. This regressive law would not only limit women's constitutional rights in matters of inheritance, divorce, and child custody but also deepen societal divisions along religious and sectarian lines. It would also normalize child and misyar marriages and increase early pregnancies and a heightened risk of domestic violence. These degrading proposals must be reviewed to protect women and children.
• Narrative B, as provided by Shafaq News. The opponents of the draft law are following Western agendas and acting out of their own political interests. Besides seeking to standardize Islamic law and give citizens personal choices in marriage practices, the amendments — which would leave the 1959 Personal Status Law in effect — are still under discussion and open to revision to ensure the best outcome for everyone.
• Narrative B, as provided by Amwaj.media. The opponents of the draft law are following Western agendas and acting out of their own political interests. Besides seeking to standardize Islamic law and give citizens personal choices in marriage practices, the amendments — which would leave the 1959 Personal Status Law in effect — are still under discussion and open to revision to ensure the best outcome for everyone.

Predictions