The Lotus Flower partners with medica mondiale to combat new threats to child marriage protection
Joint report reveals urgent risks as legal marriage age for girls could drop to as young as nine years-old.
When Iraq’s Personal Status Law amendments were passed in January 2025, allowing marriage for girls as young as nine and stripping away critical protections for women, The Lotus Flower immediately mobilised a response across the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, in partnership with medica mondiale.
The Personal Status Law in Iraq governs marriage, divorce, inheritance, and family matters, directly determining the legal protections available to women and girls. These recent amendments to the law pose unprecedented threats to existing safeguards that help prevent child marriage and protect women’s fundamental rights.
Recognising the profound risks of this law change, our initiative combined urgent community awareness with strategic advocacy. Within weeks, we reached nearly 400 community members and 60 key stakeholders through awareness-raising workshops held in Duhok and Zakho. These sessions fostered dialogue and collective analysis around the impact of the law change, laying the groundwork for informed action at both community and policy levels.
Key findings from our report reveal:
Marriage age lowered to nine years-old violates international law
Allowing marriage for girls as young as nine years-old is a direct violation of Iraq’s Constitution and the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and carries severe health risks, educational disruption, and psychological trauma for girls.Women systematically stripped of legal rights
The amendments now exclude wives from inheriting land or property, and automatically transfer custody of children to fathers from the age of two years-old. Additionally the law permits polygamy without the first wife’s consent, institutionalising gender inequality across all areas of family law.Vulnerable communities face compounded dangers
The reforms disproportionately affect displaced families, female-headed households, and children in IDP camps. Poverty, child trafficking, and homelessness will likely be exacerbated. Vulnerable groups, including orphans and children living with elderly caregivers, also face compounded risks.
At The Lotus Flower, we remain committed to amplifying women’s voices, defending their rights, and ensuring that protection frameworks are not eroded in the face of regressive policies. Our partnership with medica mondiale reinforces the urgent need for local, national, and international solidarity to safeguard the futures of these girls and women in the region.
As one of our longstanding, trusted partners in northern Iraq, medica mondiale brings deep expertise in psychosocial support, legal assistance, and advocacy for women and girls affected by violence.