A proposed law change in Iraq may allow girls as young as nine to marry

The Lotus Flower is shocked and appalled by proposed amendments to the Personal Status law in Iraq, which could effectively legalise child marriage for girls as young as nine years old.

A formal proposal to change the 1959 Personal Status Law of Iraq was made in Iraqi parliament on August 4. The amendment would put young girls at risk of early marriage, which could detrimentally affect their education, health and wellbeing. Moreover, the proposed amendment seeks to empower religious authorities in other family matters, potentially undermining legal protections that shield women and girls from forced marriage, restricted inheritance rights, and discriminatory treatment within the legal system.

The approval of this amendment could reverse the strides made in women's rights over the years, jeopardising advancements in education, employment and the autonomy of women. Furthermore, it would lead to disjointed legal structures for diverse religious groups, exacerbating existing societal rifts.

The Lotus Flower has been wholly committed to protecting women and girls' rights since we began in 2016, but as our Founder and CEO Taban says of the law amendment: “If pushed through it would have devastating impacts on the lives of girls, women and women's rights organisations in the region… It makes our work so much harder and more dangerous.”

As an organisation, we have been working tirelessly at grassroots level with women, girls, men and boys, plus religious leaders and government bodies to enhance protection for women and girls, and Taban stresses: “We do not want our work to be undone.”

In a video appeal posted here on social media, she adds: “We need to ensure that we protect the lives of women and girls in the region. Girls have a right to education and safety, but most of all to experience their childhood.” Taban also shares more on the context in this video.

In response to the amendment, widespread protests have erupted throughout Iraq, with citizens and advocacy groups voicing concerns over the future of women's and children's rights in the nation. These demonstrations underscore the risk of diminishing legal safeguards, heightened vulnerabilities, and a decline in the status of women and children.

The Lotus Flower is dedicated to creating safer, more just environments for the most vulnerable. Our key Child Protection Project funded by UNHCR operates in camp and non-camp areas across Duhok Governorate and Zakho, and focuses on providing support and safety to children affected by conflict. Meanwhile, our General Protection project with Care International and ECHO provides support and awareness for vulnerable women, girls and children. And our seven women’s centres offer awareness, workshops and community outreach to raise awareness on critical protection topics.

“The amendment to the Iraq Personal Law will unfortunately undo decades of progress on gender equality and women’s rights in Iraq,” says our Regional Director Vian Ahmed.

“The lives of thousands of Iraqi women and girls will be under threat when better facilitation is given for child marriage, restricting women’s rights in divorce and custody in addition to making polygamy easier to practice.”

With our interventions based on community needs, our Protection monitors work within different communities to raise early marriage as a major protection concern. The amendment to the Personal Status Law will accelerate such concerns, so it’s fundamentally important that women's rights, children's rights NGOs , government entities, as well as politicians who support human rights stand firmly against this law change.

We are working closely with other organisations and women’s right groups in Iraq to make our voices heard, and greatly need support to share our message and urge the Iraqi government to refuse the amendment. We desperately need to ensure that safeguarding women and girls’ rights is an immediate priority, and that any legal reform moves toward gender equality, rather than away from it.

Thank you for your support.