Iraq's child marriage proposal sparks global outrage
In Iraq, the ruling authorities are considering lowering the so-called age of consent for young girls from 18 to 9 years. The changes proposed by the Shiite parliament also strip women of the right to divorce, child custody, and inheritance.
Currently in Iraq, the minimum age at which a person can legally consent to sexual activities is 18 years. This is regulated by the Personal Status Law Code from 1959, commonly known as the "Ja'fari Law."
However, the Iraqi parliament, dominated by ultra-conservative Shiite religious groups, plans to revise these regulations. They propose lowering this age from 18 to 9 years while removing more rights from women.
What do the proposed changes mean for Iraqi society?
The proposed changes could lead to the legalisation of marriages with children under ten years old, effectively legalising paedophilia and violence against children.
The new regulations would also allow for short-term "pleasure marriages", which could be used as a cover to legalise prostitution.
Women may be forced to pay their husbands for a divorce, and their rights to child custody would be restricted. According to the new regulations, custody of the children would automatically be granted to the father after a separation. Women would also be deprived of the right to their husband's property upon his death, a right currently guaranteed by 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, emphasised that the protection's goal is for the well-being of women and girls and society's stability. "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 16 September. However, full implementation of the new regulations requires one more reading and further parliamentary discussion.
