'I might lose my children'
Protests erupt across Iraq over proposed personal status law changes
NEWSROOM – Widespread protests have erupted in several Iraqi cities, including Basra, Kirkuk, Kut, and Diwaniya, against proposed amendments to the personal status law. Demonstrators argue the changes could undermine women’s rights and personal freedoms.
The proposed amendments would allow citizens to choose between religious authorities or the civil judiciary to handle family affairs. Critics fear this could lead to reduced rights concerning inheritance, divorce, and child custody, and potentially eliminate the minimum marriage age for Muslim girls, currently set at 18 under the 1959 Personal Status Law. According to UNICEF, 28 percent of girls in Iraq are already married before 18.
Sajida Umm Ahmed, a protester in Basra, called the amendment an injustice against women. “The main aim of most proponents is to grant custody to the father and to eliminate alimony burdens,” she said. “I have been separated for 10 years, and if this law is enacted, it will be applied retroactively, meaning I might lose my children.”
In Kirkuk, dozens gathered in front of the Human Rights Commission building in the Tas’een area to protest. Feminist activist Samira Karimat called on all women in Kirkuk to oppose the amendments, stating, “The proposed changes are detrimental to women, children, and humanity.”
In Kut, activist Taghreed Al-Husseini questioned whether Iraqi legislators wanted an Islamic state, asking why they don’t also legalize punishing thieves by “cutting off hands.” “We reject the selective enactment of laws,” Al-Husseini added.
Rifaq Karim, Women’s Affairs Officer at the Diwaniya Labor Union, emphasized that amendments should improve laws, not unjustly affect one of the parties governed by it.
In Nasiriya, Iman Al-Amin of the Iraqi Women’s Association told 964media, “Today we came here to say no to the amendment and to firmly reject any law that contradicts the 1959 law. We will defend this law and will not accept any imposition of wills in this regard. We are a people who have toppled governments, and the will of political parties will not be imposed on us.”
The Iraqi parliament conducted the first reading of the controversial amendments last Sunday. The governing Shia Coordination Framework voted this week to advance the proposed law in parliament. Proponents deny that it would restrict women’s and children’s rights.
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