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Iraq Moves To Lower Legal Marriage Age To 9 Years Old
Iraq's Parliament has initiated a proposal to reduce the legal age of marriage for girls from 15 to 9 years old. This proposal, rooted in Sharia law, represents a stark regression in human rights, especially for women and female children. The disheartening move has sparked a global outcry from human rights organizations and activists.
By Meredith Evans2 min read
Under Iraq's current legal framework, the age of marriage is set at 18, with exceptions allowing girls as young as 15 to marry under judicial approval. The new draft law, however, proposes that religious courts should have the authority to permit marriages for girls as young as 9, based on certain interpretations of Islamic jurisprudence, specifically the Jaafari school of thought.