Amendments to Iraq’s Personal Status Law: What does it mean for girls?

Girls Not Brides: The Global Partnership to End Child Marriage has been closely monitoring the debate on proposed amendments to Iraq’s 1959 Personal Status Law (Law 188). We have seen significant threats to girls’ rights – including protection from child, early and forced marriage – as well as strong voices across Iraq calling to uphold girls’ rights to safety, health, and education.

According to UNICEF, 28% of women aged 20-24 in Iraq were married before the age of 18. The amendments retain the legal minimum age of marriage of 18, with exceptions permitting marriage from the age of 15. The amendments lack clarity on regulation, which undermines protections, weakens safeguards, and perpetuates risks for girls.

We will continue to monitor the situation while standing in solidarity with all actors, including civil society, working to protect the rights of girls and children in Iraq. We echo statements issued by the United Nations in Iraq, Equality Now and others calling for any legal reforms in Iraq to align with international human rights standards. Comprehensive provisions that protect girls from child, early and forced marriages – both in law and beyond – are crucial for safeguarding childhoods and enabling girls to reach their full potential.