(Web Desk) Widespread anger and concern swept the Iraqi public following the introduction of a controversial bill to set the age of marriage for girls at 9 years in the Iraqi parliament.
According to a report by an international news organization, the legal age of marriage for girls in Iraq is currently 18 years.
Human rights organizations have expressed serious concern over the proposed bill to lower the age of marriage to 9 years.
Media reports indicate that the bill would allow citizens to choose between religious authorities or the civil judiciary to decide family matters.
Critics of the bill have raised concerns that it would lead to a reduction in rights concerning inheritance, divorce, and child custody.
Foreign media have reported that the bill would allow girls as young as 9 and boys as young as 15 to marry.
Women’s groups, human rights organizations, and members of civil society have strongly opposed the bill, warning of its dire consequences on the education, health, and well-being of young girls.
Sarah Sanber, a researcher at Human Rights Watch, has stated that passing such a law would be a step backwards for the country.
According to the United Nations Children’s Organization (UNICEF), 28 percent of girls in Iraq are married before the age of 18.