Iraq could allow marriage for girls as young as 9. A survivor says it would fuel rape and child abuse.
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Lawmakers in Iraq are proposing amendments to the country’s Personal Status Law that could allow marriage for girls as young as 9.

Summary

Proposed amendments to Iraq’s Personal Status Law could allow girls as young as 9 to marry, sparking outrage from rights groups and survivors like “Batta,” who endured abuse after being forced into marriage at 11.

The changes would shift decision-making power to clerics, undermining existing protections for women and children established in 1959.

Supporters claim the amendments promote family values, but critics call them a violation of children’s rights and a step toward legalized child abuse.

Activists and lawmakers are working to block the controversial proposal.

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    Others, like fellow Shia lawmaker Alya Nassif, called for the proposals to be voted down like similar amendments were in 2014 and 2017. Calling the proposals “dangerous,” Nassif said the law “threatens society and families.” She added that the members of parliament had been presented with “a collection of ideas written on two sheets of paper,” rather than “legal articles that are needed to be discussed for voting.”