Iraq. Efforts to end the evil of child marriage are continuing all over the world. This has also been controlled to some extent. However, there are still many countries which are continuously struggling to legalize child marriage. Actually, we are talking about Iraq. Here there is complete preparation for amendment in the age of marriage. It is being claimed that the government is going to reduce the marriage age of girls. In such a situation, men will be able to marry a nine year old girl.
If this amendment is passed here, not only will the age of marriage be reduced but special rights for women like divorce, custody of children and property will also be restricted. The bill would also allow Iraqi citizens to choose religious authorities or the civilian judiciary to decide on family matters.
the law in force till now
According to Middle East Eye, there is talk of changing Rule 188 of the Personal Status Act 1959. The old rule was made by Abdul Karim Qasim government. Qasim was known as a progressive leftist, during whose time many major changes were brought. One of these was marriage of girls only after they turn 18 years of age. It was considered one of the best laws in the entire Middle East in the late 1950s. Not only marriage at a certain age, this rule also said many other things, like men cannot marry for the second time as per their wish. According to the law, if a Muslim man and a non-Muslim woman want to get married, there will be no condition or pre-condition on it. However, the law was not as straightforward as it sounds. To please the population, a rule was also inserted that marriages can take place even at the age of 15, if the family and the judge have permission.
Wants to pass law despite opposition
Shia Islamist parties together prepared a framework, which talks about this change. Let us tell you that at present there is a government in Iraq of Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani, who is himself a Shia and who has the support of Shia parties. Shia parties play a big role in the government of this Shia-dominated country and they often take major decisions. Iraq’s government, led by a coalition of Shia parties, has said the amendment is under Islamic Sharia law and is aimed at protecting young girls. The special thing is that the Iraqi government wants to pass this law despite the continuous opposition from the Iraqi women’s group.
This has been tried before too
Efforts have already been made to amend the law. However, for the first time it seems that MPs may be successful in passing the law. Earlier, the second amendment to the law was passed on September 16. According to a report, it was named Law 188. This law will be applied equally to families of all sects native to Iraq.
There are many child marriages in Iraq
Iraq already has a high rate of child marriage. According to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), 28 percent of women in Iraq are married by the age of 18. This is because of a loophole in personal law that allows religious leaders, rather than courts, to perform thousands of marriages every year. These also include marriages of girls up to the age of 15 years with father’s permission. These unregistered marriages are widely practiced among Iraq’s economically poor, ultra-conservative Shia communities. Since these marriages are not recognized by law, girls and their children are deprived of many rights.