A bill has been passed in the Iraqi parliament to lower the legal age of marriage for girls to 9 years. The proposed bill has sparked a huge debate in the country. MSN reported this information in a report.
According to the report, currently the minimum age of marriage for girls in Iraq is 18 years. In the proposed bill, the minimum age of marriage for girls is 9 years and the minimum age of marriage for boys is 15 years.
Various human rights organizations have strongly opposed this bill. They warn that this will have serious consequences for the education, health and well-being of young girls. They believe that this will lead to higher risk of domestic violence in addition to early pregnancy.
Amal Qabashi of the Iraq Women’s Network also strongly opposed the bill. He said the amendment creates a huge scope for male dominance over family issues in a conservative society.
But supporters of the proposed bill claim it aims to standardize Islamic law and protect young girls from immoral relationships.
