Iraq Reportedly Plans to Lower the Age of Consent of Girls to Nine

A new proposal in Iraq could lower the legal age of marriage for girls to nine, which activists warn would lead to child abuse and the loss of rights for women. Ultra-conservative Shia Muslim parties in the Iraqi parliament have proposed changing the current law, which sets the age of consent at 18, as part of efforts to align Iraq’s laws with a strict interpretation of Islamic law.

This proposed change would overturn Iraq’s existing “personal status law,” known as Law 188, which is considered one of the most progressive in the region. If passed, it would limit women’s rights, including their ability to seek divorce, retain custody of their children, and inherit property.

Activists have managed to block similar attempts to change the law in 2014 and 2017 and are now mobilizing to stop this latest push.