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All women need to listen to what I’m about to say. Please.
Today in Iraq, a new personal status system has created serious concerns about women’s and girls’ rights. Under the Ja’afari Personal Status Code, rules concerning marriage, divorce, children, and inheritance can be governed by a separate religious legal framework.
There are provisions that human rights organizations have criticized for weakening protections for women and girls. The final code allows marriage to be tied to the concept of puberty, which can potentially facilitate child marriage at extremely young ages. Human Rights Watch has warned that this can conflict with international standards protecting children.
And it doesn’t stop there.
The code contains provisions affecting women’s ability to divorce, their rights concerning their children, and their financial rights. For example, a husband can change his marriage contract to be governed by the Ja’afari code without his wife’s consent or knowledge, and responsibility for children can automatically shift to the father after the child reaches seven.
I want you to understand why I’m speaking about this.
This is not about attacking ordinary people or insulting anyone’s religion. People should have the freedom to practice their faith. But when religious rules become part of state law, they can directly affect the legal rights and lives of women and children.
So I’m asking you: where are the voices of the women and girls who have to live under these rules?
I am Iraqi, I am a girl, and I believe Iraqi women and girls deserve laws that protect their dignity, safety, equality, and freedom.
Please listen to us..
2026-10-02 16:24:08