World must not abandon the daughters of Iraq

By now, one might have hoped that the world would have made significant progress in protecting human rights, especially those of women and children. Unfortunately, Iraq seems to be moving in the opposite direction, with a proposed amendment to the country’s Personal Status Law that represents a profound decline in both civilizational and human progress in the nation.
This legislation, should it pass, would allow girls as young as 9 years old to get married. It is nothing short of a license to rape children, under the guise of religious and cultural practices. Young girls belong in school, pursuing their education and building their futures, not in marital beds, stripped of their childhoods and forced into a life they are much too young to understand.
The controversy surrounding the proposed law change has sparked fierce debate across Iraq, from the streets to the halls of parliament. The Coordination Framework, a bloc of Shiite parties, is leveraging its parliamentary majority to push the amendment through, with the backing of religious authorities in Najaf.
They are negotiating with Sunni political blocs, which are demanding a general amnesty for thousands of prisoners in exchange for their support. This political deal-making demonstrates the profoundly ingrained power dynamics that prioritize political gain over the rights and futures of young girls.
As it currently stands, the 1959 Personal Status Law prohibits marriage before the age of 18. But the reality is that child marriage is already a significant problem in Iraq. According to the UN, 28 percent of Iraqi girls are married before their 18th birthday, often in informal ceremonies conducted by clerics without any official registration.
The new amendment will only exacerbate the situation by formally lowering the legal marriage age to as young as 9 years. This is a horrifying prospect that would effectively endorse and legalize the exploitation of children under the guise of tradition and religious law.
The backlash against the proposed amendment has been fierce, particularly from women’s rights activists, who have protested in the streets. In Najaf, a demonstration by female activists was met with hostility from clerics and tribal figures, who demanded the protesters disperse. The confrontation was so intense that the police had to intervene to prevent it escalating into violence.
Such tensions highlight the deep divisions in attitudes about the role of religion and tradition in shaping the legal framework of Iraq, particularly when it comes to the rights of women and children.
However, the implications of the proposed amendment go far beyond just one protest or a single political debate. A decision by authorities that allows girls as young as 9 years old to be married is a fundamental violation of their human rights. It is a direct assault on their right to education, their right to childhood and their right to bodily autonomy.
Child marriage has been widely recognized as a form of gender-based violence, with it having devastating consequences for the physical and mental health of young girls. It increases their vulnerability to sexual and physical abuse, restricts their access to education and employment and perpetuates cycles of poverty and inequality.

The international community has a moral obligation to put pressure on the Iraqi government. 

Dalia Al-Aqidi

Moreover, child marriage often results in lifelong trauma. Young girls, who should be playing with friends and focusing on their studies, are instead forced into adult roles for which they are neither physically nor emotionally prepared. The health risks alone are staggering; early-age pregnancies often result in complications that endanger both mother and child.
Furthermore, these young brides are frequently cut off from their support networks, isolated within their new households and denied access to education and opportunities for personal development. The cycle of poverty continues as these girls grow up with limited skills and resources, unable to break free from the constraints placed on them at such a young age.
This proposed amendment to the law is not only a setback for the country, it represents a regression to a darker time when the rights of women and children were routinely ignored in favor of patriarchal and religious authority. It is a clear step backward in the global fight for gender equality and human rights.
In a world that is striving to move forward, the passing of this law would be a tragic reminder that progress is not guaranteed and the rights for which we fight can be eroded in an instant if we are not vigilant.
The international community cannot stand idly by while Baghdad contemplates the legalization of what is, in essence, the rape of children. It has a moral obligation to intervene and put pressure on the Iraqi government to abandon this harmful and regressive legislation.
International organizations, human rights groups and foreign governments must speak out against this proposed law and make it clear that such a violation of human rights will not be tolerated. Diplomatic channels, sanctions and public condemnation must all be considered as part of the global response to this egregious assault on the rights of children.
Iraqi girls deserve the chance to grow up in a world that values their rights and their futures, not one that sacrifices them on the altar of political and religious convenience. Every child has the right to live free from the threat of forced marriage and exploitation and it is our collective responsibility to ensure those rights are upheld.
The proposed amendment to the Personal Status Law is not only a domestic issue for Iraq to address, it is a test of the world’s commitment to the protection of the most vulnerable among us. The fight to defeat this legislation is a fight for the very future of Iraq’s children and for the principles of human dignity and equality that should guide every society.
In 2024, we should not be debating whether or not to legalize child marriage, we should be working to end it altogether.
A country known as the cradle of civilization stands at a crossroads. It can either protect the rights of women and children or take a devastating step backward by legalizing the oppression of young girls.
The choice is clear and the world must act now to ensure this ancient land chooses progress. This is about the futures of countless girls who deserve lives free from the horrors of abuse. The time to act is now.

• Dalia Al-Aqidi is executive director at the American Center for Counter Extremism.