Iraq’s parliament has passed amendments to the nation’s personal status law, effectively permitting the marriage of girls as young as nine years old. The legislative change grants religious authorities increased power over family matters, including marriage, divorce, and inheritance, thereby undermining the 1959 Personal Status Law that previously set the legal marriage age at 18.

Proponents of the amendments, primarily conservative Shia lawmakers, argue that aligning the law with Islamic principles reduces Western influence on Iraqi culture. However, the decision has ignited widespread protests and condemnation from human rights activists and women’s rights organizations. Critics contend that the law effectively legalizes child rape and jeopardizes the rights and well-being of young girls.

Intisar al-Mayali, a human rights activist and member of the Iraqi Women’s League, expressed deep concern, stating that the amendments “will leave disastrous effects on the rights of women and girls, through the marriage of girls at an early age, which violates their right to life as children, and will disrupt the protection mechanisms for divorce, custody, and inheritance for women.”

The parliamentary session that passed the amendments ended in chaos, with accusations of procedural violations and disputes over the legal quorum. Despite these controversies, Parliament Speaker Mahmoud al-Mashhadani praised the passage of the laws as “an important step in the process of enhancing justice and organizing the daily lives of citizens.”

This legislative development has intensified the debate over women’s and children’s rights in Iraq, with many fearing that it marks a significant regression in the fight against child marriage and the protection of vulnerable populations.