Iraq passes laws that critics say will allow child marriage
GuardianJAN 20
Iraq Passes Law Potentially Allowing Child Marriage
Above: Women attend a demonstration in support of a proposed parliamentary amendment to the Personal Status Law in Baghdad on Sept. 15, 2024. Image copyright: AHMAD AL-RUBAYE/AFP via Getty Images
The Spin
Narrative A
The law effectively dismantles decades of progress in women's rights and child protection, potentially legitimizing child marriage and weakening women's legal protections in divorce and inheritance matters. The changes will fragment Iraqi society along sectarian lines and strip away fundamental human rights protections that Iraqi women gained in modern times. The legislation represents a dangerous precedent that prioritizes religious jurisprudence over civil rights.
Narrative B
Though these new laws are surely controversial, it is notable that after months of deadlock the Iraqi parliament was able to make some progress and unite the country's disparate political factions. Kurds and Turkmen will receive land that was confiscated by the former Ba'athist regime and the Sunni community will receive amnesties that will free many who were imprisoned by the Shiite-dominated government.