1192
The Iraqi parliament is considering allowing men to marry with children and removing women's rights to divorce, custody and inheritance. This was reported by The Telegraph.
The new law, proposed by ultra-conservative Shiite Muslim parties, aims to strip women and girls of their rights, it said.
In particular, Iraq is going to reduce the legal age of consent for marriage from 18 to 9, which will allow men to marry with young children. The proposed legislative change also removes women's rights to divorce, custody of children and inheritance. The ruling coalition says the changes are in line with Islamic law and protect girls from "immoral relationships".
As Chatham House senior fellow Dr. Renad Mansour noted, the proposed amendment is part of a broader political move by Shiite Islamist groups to consolidate their power and restore legitimacy.
In turn, experts and activists emphasize that the amendment will actually cancel the most important rights of women in the country.
"This amendment to the law doesn't just undermine those rights, it erases them," said Sarah Sanbar, an Iraq researcher.
