On November 21, 2021, women demonstrated near the Kadhimiya Court in Baghdad, the Iraqi capital, to protest the legalization of a 12-year-old girl’s marriage contract.
According to a lawyer who opposes the coalition’s girl’s mother, the Iraqi court adjourned on Sunday to allow a man to formally have a religious marriage with a 12-year-old girl.
Human rights activists protested outside the Baghdad court with banners such as “Marriage of minors is a crime against childhood”, while lawyer Marwan Obedi told AFP that the case had been postponed to November 28.
According to the charity Save the Children, the legal age for marriage in Iraq is 18, but it can be lowered to 15 with parental or judicial consent.
It stated in a recent report:
Religious marriages are not allowed outside civil or religious courts, but such marriages still occur frequently and can be formally established after paying a small fine.
The mother, who asked not to be named, said that her daughter Israa was “raped” and the girl’s father kidnapped her.
But a department of the Ministry of the Interior that deals with violence against women said in a statement that it met with Isla, her father and husband, saw the religious contract, and said she assured them that she was not coerced.
Child marriage is not uncommon in conservative and rural areas of Iraq and other Arab countries.
We want to hear your opinion on the news. Subscribe to news 24 Be part of the dialogue in the comments section of this article.
We live in a world where facts and fiction are blurred
In uncertain times, you need news that you can trust.Just for R75 per month, You can access a world of in-depth analysis, investigative news, popular opinions, and a range of features. Journalism strengthens democracy. Invest in the future today.
