Iraq’s parliament is considering a controversial amendment to its “personal status law” that would reduce the legal age for marriage from 18 to nine and strip women of essential rights, including divorce, custody, and inheritance.

The law, known as Law 188, has long provided a secular framework for family matters, but conservative Shia Muslim parties are pushing to replace it with a stricter interpretation of Islamic law.

The proposed changes, which recently passed a second reading, have stirred significant backlash, particularly from women’s rights activists.

They argue that this amendment would not only endanger young girls by legitimising child marriages but also erase fundamental rights for women.

The new law would give men the sole authority to choose whether family matters are governed by secular or religious law, effectively removing protections for women in legal disputes.

The move is part of a broader political shift by certain Shia factions, aiming to consolidate power by invoking religious authority.

Critics warn this approach risks deepening Iraq’s sectarian divides and setting back social progress.

Protests organised by women’s rights groups have erupted across the country, with activists warning that the amendments could dismantle protections and intensify social and economic inequality among Iraq’s women.

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