Iraq wants to lower the age of consent to 9. Christians must do something
by Sema, Premier Christianity:
Proposals by Iraq’s ultra conservative government to make the law reflect strict Islamic Shia principles would have devastating affects on women’s rights – and lower the age of consent to just nine years old. They must not be allowed to do so, says one Iraqi woman.
Working in Erbil, northern Iraq, I get to see firsthand how Iraq’s shifting political landscape is affecting women, girls and other vulnerable groups. Right now, the latest proposals by a conservative coalition of Shia Muslim parties to amend Law 188 are a huge step backward for Iraq.
When it was passed back in 1959, Law 188 was considered one of the most progressive laws in the Middle East. It provided a secular family law system that governed things such as divorce, child custody, inheritance and marriage, no matter what someone’s sex, religion or sect was. Women’s rights were protected and there were safeguards in place to prevent harmful practices like child marriage.
Dangerous changes
Despite this, almost a third of Iraq’s girls marry before the age of 18. And these new proposals would make things worse, shifting the law to reflect strict Islamic Shia principles. The most shocking is the move to lower the legal age for marriage – and consent – to just nine years old. This threatens Iraq’s very social fabric, undermining basic human rights and further inflaming sectarian tensions.
Other changes would make it harder for women to get a divorce or keep custody of their children if they separate and undermine them by limiting their inheritance rights. These changes would be devastating not only for Iraq’s Muslim women but also for religious minorities, including Christians.
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