Iraqi women scholars, artists oppose amendments to Personal Status Law

BAGHDAD – A group of prominent Iraqi women from academic, media, artistic, and literary circles from within Iraq and abroad have issued a joint statement rejecting proposed amendments to the Personal Status Law No. 188 of 1959.

The group, which includes 133 members, warns that these amendments “threaten to deepen sectarian divisions, erase national identity, and undermine the progress made in protecting women’s rights,” the statement read.

The proposed amendments would give Iraqis the option to have family affairs handled by either religious authorities or the civil judiciary.

Critics express concern that this could result in diminished rights related to inheritance, divorce, and child custody, and might also remove the minimum marriage age for Muslim girls, which is currently set at 18 under the 1959 Personal Status Law.

They also argue that such changes could push Iraq back to an era by imposing laws based on narrow interpretations of Islamic Sharia, challenging state authority, and undermining the constitutional right to equality. This would, they say, create “a parallel legislative authority.”

The group is calling on the public to sign a petition opposing these changes.

The signatories express their commitment to resisting ongoing efforts and repeated attempts since 2003 to repeal or dilute the law under the pretext of “allowing citizens the freedom to choose” the doctrines that govern their marriages, divorces, child custody, and inheritance.

The Shia Coordination Framework, Iraq’s largest parliamentary bloc, had stated its support for the contentious amendment to the 1959 Personal Status Law, claiming it promotes “freedom of choice.”

The statement claims these proposed amendments reflect a “deeply rooted patriarchal mindset” aimed at controlling Iraq’s legal and social landscape by imposing visions and laws that restrict women’s rights under the guise of religious or sectarian justifications.

They assert that safeguarding women’s rights and ensuring their constitutional protection are essential for building a democratic society that respects the rights of all individuals without discrimination.

During an annual event organized by the National Wisdom Movement last week to mark the Islamic Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani announced that the Higher Council for Women will convene a special ‘workshop’. However, details on his stance towards ongoing controversy surrounding this issue have not yet been disclosed.

The group of Iraqi women believes that laws should be “fair and inclusive for all Iraqis without bias or prejudice”. They insist that any attempt to amend the Personal Status Law must respect women’s rights, adhere to international agreements Iraq has committed to, and protect the well-being of future generations.

The Iraqi parliament conducted the first reading of the controversial amendments on Aug. 4.  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. However, it sparked widespread protests  in several Iraqi cities.

The statement also emphasizes that laws and legislation, especially those related to personal status, should be subject to societal dialogue before any constitutional action is considered, as they affect all segments of Iraqi society both now and in the future.

The women strongly condemn the ‘defamation’ and ‘slander campaigns’ targeting those who oppose these amendments, viewing such actions as a “dangerous moral decline that threatens the fabric of society and contradicts ethical and religious values”.

Coalition 188, another pressure group defending Iraq’s current Personal Status Law, condemned the recent attacks on its members and supporters in Najaf and Basra.

The coalition, whose name refers to the 1959 Personal Status Law, officially titled Law No. 188 of 1959, also denounced the ongoing smear campaigns against activists and the veiled threats they have received, urging the executive and judicial authorities to enforce protection for activists.