ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Iraqi government’s council for women’s affairs will hold a meeting to discuss concerns that a highly-controversial proposed amendment to the Personal Status Law could walk back human rights in the country, Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani announced on Saturday.
“The Higher Council for Women will soon hold a specialized workshop to discuss all the observations raised regarding the Personal Status Law,” Sudani said during an event for the Islamic day for the elimination of violence against women.
Rights activists have strongly protested the bill to amend the 1959 Personal Status Law, which would effectively legalize child marriage and give religious authorities regulatory power over inheritance and marriage.
The Iraqi parliament conducted the first reading for the bill on Sunday, but has yet to vote on the amendment. If it is passed, Iraqis would be allowed to choose either Shiite or Sunni rules at the time of marriage to govern all personal status-related matters in their family.
The proposed bill specifies following the provisions of the Jaafari school of jurisprudence for the Shiite sect, which permits marriage for girls as young as nine and boys at fifteen.
The Iraqi premier affirmed the government’s commitment to upholding women’s rights, stating that “achieving long-term economic and social reform and ambitious development plans hinges on empowering capable women.”
“We have supported women through laws, legislation, and initiatives that enhance their status and ensure their familial and social security,” he added.
Demonstrations were held across seven Iraqi provinces on Thursday in protest of the controversial bill.
The amendment was demanded by over 100 Shiite members of the parliament, but has been met with backlash from the rest of the legislature. Around 130 lawmakers signed a petition against its passing, according to MP Kurdo Mohammed.
The current provisions of the Personal Status Law require couples to be at least 18 years old to marry, or 15 if a judge permits and subject to consent from the legal guardian - typically a male relative.
Many marriages in Iraq are unregistered, conducted by religious leaders and not legally valid. The proposed amendment calls for legitimizing marriages authorized by religious leaders.
The bill was introduced by independent MP Raed al-Maliki, who was also responsible for controversial amendments to the country’s anti-prostitution law earlier this year that criminalized any practice of homosexuality and sex-reassignment surgeries.
