Iraq has passed a new law that allows children as young as nine years old to get married, sparking widespread concern and criticism. The law also gives Islamic courts more power over family matters, such as marriage, divorce, and inheritance. This marks a big change in the country’s legal system, which previously required most people to be at least 18 years old to marry.
The changes, approved on January 21, mean that religious leaders, or clerics, can now decide these matters based on their interpretation of Islamic law. Some interpretations, such as the Jaafari school of Islamic thought followed by many Shiite religious authorities in Iraq, permit girls as young as nine to marry. Supporters of the law argue that it is necessary to align Iraq’s legal system with Islamic principles and reduce the influence of Western culture on Iraqi traditions.
However, many people are deeply concerned about the effects of this law. Human rights activists, including Intisar al-Mayali from the Iraqi Women’s League, warn that this change will harm women and girls. They believe it will encourage child marriages, taking away the rights of girls to live as children. Additionally, they say it will weaken protections for women in cases of divorce, child custody, and inheritance, leaving them more vulnerable in family disputes.
The new law also undermines Iraq’s 1959 Personal Status Law, which had brought family laws under a unified system and introduced safeguards for women’s rights. Activists fear this step backward will have long-term negative consequences for women and children.
In the same parliamentary session, other controversial laws were passed. One of these is a general amnesty law, which aims to benefit Sunni detainees but has been criticized for possibly pardoning individuals involved in corruption and embezzlement. Another law focuses on addressing Kurdish territorial disputes through land restitution.
The session where these laws were passed ended in chaos. Lawmakers accused each other of breaking procedural rules, and an anonymous official revealed that many parliament members didn’t vote, making the session’s decisions legally questionable. Critics and activists are now calling for stronger measures to protect women, children, and the integrity of the country’s legal system.
