Iraqi pose lowering legal marriage for girls to age to 9

Colombia outlaws child marriage after 17-year campaign

Country closes 137-year legal loophole, becoming one of 12 in Latin America and the Caribbean to entirely ban marriage for minors

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2024/nov/14/colombia-outlaws-child-marriage-after-17-year-campaign-under-18

Unfortunately it's short notice but info if anyone's in the vicinity.

Join us tomorrow to protest against the proposed amendment to the Iraqi Personal Status Law that would legalise child marriage, formalise polygamy, and undermine the rights of women and girls.

📍Outside the Embassy of Iraq, 21 Queens Gate, London SW7 5JE
🕐22nd August, 1pm

x.com/IKWRO/status/1826262609265598843?t=fKT1fk7MT5qgAe6WorrDCA&s=19

Yes, but no-one here presumably thinks a teenager aged 16-18 is a child. They are not, they are minors, meaning they cannot consent to certain activities/make life-changing decisions etc. The age of consent in England and Wales remains 16, it has not been raised to 18 (in practice, it has been lowered to 14 if the age difference between the partners is not more than a couple of years).

nikah mut’ah is a feature of Twelver Shia sect which is the majority of Shia Muslims. So it's not confined to Iraq. But in the context of Iraq they are attempting to overturn what has been the law implemented by the Sunnis in 1959.
The UN has a target of ending child marriage by 2030. Some hope of achieving that if counties are starting to move backwards.

Iraqi women's networks urge authorities to block proposed amendments to Personal Status Law

Shafaq News/ On Wednesday, women's networks in Iraq called on the three branches of government (executive, legislative, and judiciary) to intervene and prevent the enactment of proposed amendments to the Personal Status Law.

During a press conference held in Erbil, the capital of the Kurdistan Region, the networks demanded the cancellation of the proposed amendments to the law, citing the current "volatile" situation in Iraq and emphasizing "the need to maintain social cohesion amid political, economic, security, and social challenges."

The women's networks conducted a series of legal meetings and seminars to assess the legal and social implications of the proposed changes, particularly regarding the transfer of judicial authority from the courts and the reduction of the role of the Court of Cassation.
"Examining the judicial rulings issued by the Personal Status Court and the confiscation of judicial discretion in issuing verdicts in personal status cases in the presence of a code called the Code of Sharia Rulings—which is extremely difficult, if not impossible, to organize due to the diverse interpretations of Islamic jurisprudence—raises significant concerns," The group said.

It further noted, "In Iraq, including the Kurdistan Region, we have a Personal Status Law that incorporates and harmonizes judgments from various schools of thought. Since its enactment, it has been one of the most progressive legislations in the Middle East. Instead of making further advancements for the public good, we are witnessing this proposal, which, if passed, would be a significant setback for women's and children's rights and disrupt many existing balances."
The Personal Status Law, enacted in 1959 under Prime Minister Abdul Karim Qasim, currently applies to all Iraqis without sectarian distinction. However, the proposed amendments include a provision allowing Iraqis to choose whether Shia or Sunni laws will govern their personal status matters at the time of marriage. Those who have not previously selected a specific sect's laws can request a personal status court to apply their chosen sect's religious laws, with the court required to comply.

The draft law also stipulates that if parties in a family case disagree on the applicable legal source, the religious opinion will prevail.
It further mandates that the Shia and Sunni Endowment Councils, in coordination with the State Council, draft a code of religious rulings on personal status issues and submit it to the Parliament for approval within six months of the Law's enactment.

Additionally, the amendment requires personal status courts to validate marriage contracts performed by Muslims before individuals authorized by religious or legal authorities, ensuring all contract elements and conditions are met.

Shia voices within the "Coordination Framework" believe the amendments align with the federal constitution and address many family-related issues. However, civil society activists and other political parties criticize the amendments since this Law is "best in the region."

https://shafaq.com/en/Kurdistan/Iraqi-women-s-networks-urge-authorities-to-block-proposed-amendments-to-Personal-Status-Law

There was an article in the Times a few days ago about the same thing in Afghanistan - the government there wants to lower the marriage age to 9. There it seems linked, at least to some extent, to economics. Poor families that cannot feed all their children, actually sell their young daughters to older men! All the statistics from studies around the world indicate that child marriage is detrimental in just about every way for the rest of the girl's life.

What can we DO? I feel so outraged about this. Patriarchy worldwide is an evil.

Sorry - wrong link https://resourcecentre.savethechildren.net/document/married-exception-child-marriage-policies-middle-east-and-north-africa/

But in the instance of what is happening in Iraq is to undermine what advances had been made in having marriage etc., under civil law.

I thought "pleasure marriages" were and still are a front for prostitution.

And not unique to Iraq.

https://www.savethechildren.net/news/girls-facing-higher-risk-%E2%80%98summer%E2%80%99-marriages-middle-east-and-north-africa

'a temporary marriage that can last as little as an hour.'

Well, that's pretty revealing. Of course, conception takes far less than an hour, but I don't suppose men chasing kicks will give two fucks about that potential consequence.

One of the most sinister parts is the proposal to legalise 'pleasure marriages' It really is obscene.

https://themedialine.org/people/in-iraq-a-law-that-can-legalize-pedophilia-is-on-the-table/

"One of the most controversial effects of the amended law would be the legalization of “pleasure marriage,” a concept unique to the Shiite sect. A pleasure marriage, known in Arabic as nikah mut’ah, is a temporary marriage that can last as little as an hour. Unlike a permanent marriage, a pleasure marriage does not require registration in court or the presence of witnesses."

"Critics say that the legalization of pleasure marriage would be devastating to the status of Shiite women and could be used to legitimate child marriage and prostitution."

This is an investigation by the Guardian from the days it did journalism.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/oct/06/pleasure-marriages-iraq-baghdad-bbc-investigation-child-prostitution

There was also a documentary Undercover with the clerics.

Yes. Here is child marriage cast as 'romantic':

www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofScotland/Gretna-Green/

It's the only reason many people have heard of Gretna Green.

I don't really have any words....just abhorrent

Those poor little girls

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/legal-age-of-marriage-in-england-and-wales-rises-to-18

E&W changed as of last year, but of course Scotland couldn't just agree to that!

Still legal in Scotland.

https://www.mygov.scot/getting-married

'You can get married in Scotland if you're:

• aged 16 or over'

One of the things that's confusing statistically is that child marriage refers to under 18. So child marriage in UK was legal until a couple of years ago although very few 16 year olds married.

In Iraq Married by 15: Number of girls and women 20 - 24 married before age 15 = 7%

Married by 18: Number of girls and women 20-24 years married before age 18 =28%
That's under the current law of marriage at 18.

OP, sorry, I don't mean to derail. The Iraq law proposals are abhorrent. I'm also horrified that this seems to still happen in the US.

Having a look at UnchainedAtLast's research methodology:

https://www.unchainedatlast.org/united-states-child-marriage-problem-study-findings-april-2021/#methodology

'Unchained confirmed all outliers in the data – that is, children listed as married before age 12 – by contacting the relevant state.'

Some 96% of the children wed were age 16 or 17, though a few were as young as 10 [5].

10-Year-Olds: 5 (<1%)
11-Year-Olds: 1 (<1%)
12-Year-Olds: 14 (<1%)
13-Year-Olds: 78 (<1%)
14-Year-Olds: 1,223 (<1%)
15-Year-Olds: 8,199 (4%)
16-Year-Olds: 63,956 (29%)
17-Year-Olds: 148,944 (67%)'

More info and references on the link.

I feel sick. Why are some men so horrible. They should be castrated

This should not be legal anywhere in the world. It's appalling

I guarantee you no court in this land would okay a marriage at 9.

I think most of us are aware that in many countries there is often a huge gap between what it said to be the law and what are cultural practices (and I dont just mean religion)

I couldn't make out from the chart posted by the group UnchainedAtLast whether the record of the marriage of a girl of 9 was one accepted by which ever state.

I doubt it.

That is the issue.

The gap between what the law says should and shouldn't happen, and those who think their traditions mean they can ignore it.

As UnchainedAtLast have been campaigning for years I doubt they would risk their reputation by quoting made up facts.

And yet, from the same article:

Washington: The age of consent is 18. With judicial approval, a person can marry at 17.

California: The age of consent is 18. Minors under 18 can marry with written parental consent. There is a 30-day wiating period and a meeting with the judge before marriage.

New Mexico: The age of consent is 18. With parental consent, a person can marry at 16. A person under 16 can marry by order of a children's or family division of the district court.

Oklahoma: The age of consent is 18. With parental consent, a person may marry at 16. Minors under 16 may not marry unless authorized by court order.

Michigan: The age of consent is 18. With parental consent, a person can marry at 16.

Mississippi: The age of consent is 21. With parental consent, males can marry at 17, and females can marry at 15.

I guarantee you no court in this land would okay a marriage at 9.

This is covered in the 2 articles linked on page 1.

Its stems from trying to reverse the more "progressive" postion of marriage etc., being part of civil law.

This seems to be an attempt by both Sunni and Shia factions to have more rights over this than the state.

The proposed amendment would reverse changes made by the 1959 legislation, which transferred family law authority from religious figures to the state judiciary. The new bill would reintroduce the option for applying religious rules, mainly from Shia and Sunni Islam, but does not address other religious or sectarian communities in Iraq.

https://economictimes.indiatimes.com//news/new-updates/iraq-plans-to-lower-the-marriage-age-for-girls-to-nine-herere-the-other-proposed-controversial-changes/articleshow/112399995.cms?

And as it common knowledge, when women's rights are under the control of any religion, they lose them.

It is almost like religion is part of the patriarchal system of the oppression of women.

So it is as much men using religion to justify their domination of women, as religion itself being th problem.

As witnessed by the Bible being used to support the cause of anti abortionists.

From the link you posted:

'Six states (Washington, California, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Michigan, and Mississippi) have no minimum age for marriage'.

IdahoGal & CurlyhairedAssassin,

I had no idea, I only found out on this blog and another poster has confirmed it:

"Five states in the US have no lower age limit for marriage.

This organisation campaigns to end child marriage in the US. They have some shocking figures here - 10 and 11 year olds married.

These are outwith the norm; the main problem is 16 and 17 year olds being married when they are legally not able to leave home/divorce.

www.unchainedatlast.org/child-marriage-shocking-statistics/"

If there isn't a legal minimum, it can indeed be interpreted as "children can be married off at 9".

If Iraq worded the law exactly as it is worded in California, would that be acceptable?

"Progressive" California and the other four states need to introduce a legal minimum age in their laws.

And certainly pressure has to be put on Iraq to give up the idea.