Activists and members of women's organizations protest in Sulaymaniyah against proposed amendments to Iraq's personal status law, photo: submitted to 964media
'Sectarian project'
Sulaymaniyah activists protest proposed amendments to Iraq’s personal status law
SULAYMANIYAH — Activists, members of women’s organizations, and public figures gathered Thursday in Sulaymaniyah to protest against proposed amendments to Iraq’s personal status law, which recently passed its first reading in parliament. The demonstration brought together several voices expressing deep concerns over the potential impact of these changes.
Hana Shwan, an official from the Women’s Communication and Intellectuality Organization, who participated in the protest, told 964media, “This is not an amendment to the personal status law but its destruction. The proposed changes reject the existing law entirely. They include provisions that prioritize religious doctrines and discriminate against women, particularly young girls and families.”
Shwan emphasized that the criticism extends beyond specific provisions of the proposed amendments, stating there is opposition to the entire project, which she described as “a sectarian Shiite project.” She further argued that the law aims to “undermine families.”
“We have been working for many years on unifying families and addressing social issues through legal means. But now, this proposal undermines both the laws and families,” Shwan said.
She expressed concerns about the potential approval of the law in parliament, noting its support from Shiite political parties. However, Shwan also voiced hope that public discontent across Iraq, particularly through ongoing protests, might help prevent the law from being approved.
The first reading of the amendments on Aug. 4 sparked protests across several cities, including Erbil. While the Shia Coordination Framework, Iraq’s largest parliamentary bloc, supports the amendments citing “freedom of choice,” opposition has formed within the parliament itself. A new bloc of female MPs from various factions opposes the changes, and a coalition of prominent Iraqi women from various sectors has issued a statement rejecting the amendments and advocating for public support against them.
The opposition’s efforts are occurring against a backdrop of attacks on members and supporters of Coalition 188, a group advocating for the current law, in Najaf and Basra. Meanwhile, a recent survey by the Iraq Polling Team found that 73.2% of Iraqis “strongly oppose” the proposed amendments, with only 23.8% showing strong support, based on responses from 61,648 participants nationwide between Aug. 13 and Aug. 15.
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