Iraq lowers age of consent to 9 years old with sick law
The amendments give Islamic courts increased authority over family matters, including marriage, divorce, and inheritance.
Iraq’s parliament passed a law on Tuesday that critics say would effectively legalise child marriage with girls as young as nine.
The amendments give Islamic courts increased authority over family matters, including marriage, divorce, and inheritance. Activists argue this undermines Iraq’s 1959 Personal Status Law, which unified family law and established safeguards for women.
Intisar al-Mayali, a human rights activist and a member of the Iraqi Women’s League, warned of the law's "disastrous" consequences for Iraqi women and girls.
She said: "[It] 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." Express.