Child Marriage Surges in Iraq

[Anthea]

Child Marriage Surges in Iraq

Over 5,000 underage girls were married in Iraq In 2023, highlighting a critical issue as official statistics show that one in four Iraqi girls marries before reaching puberty, specifically 5,129 girls under 18 were married last year

Between December and October 2023, Iraqi courts approved 37,727 out-of-court marriage contracts, alongside 211,000 registered civil marriages. Article 10 of the 1959 Personal Status Act prohibits minor marriages, but Human Rights Watch reports that clerics continue to conduct thousands of such unions outside the courts, violating girls' rights.

Legal expert Ali Qaisi criticized the practice, equating it to ending the lives of young girls, and expressed concern over proposals to abolish penalties for out-of-court marriages. According to UN statistics, 22% of these marriages involve girls under the age of 18.

The 188th Coalition, comprising various factions in the Iraqi parliament, is actively working to reject proposed amendments that could weaken protections and exacerbate the issue, vowing to prevent any legislation that might harm Iraqi society.

https://www.basnews.com/en/babat/859724