Note from the Author

The continued prevalence of child marriage in Iraq is a horrifying indictment of a state captured by religion, corruption, and impunity. Girls as young as 9 to 13 are being married off without consent, often under pressure from families or clerics, while judges and religious authorities exploit legal loopholes to justify these abuses. This is not tradition; it is systemic oppression sanctioned by a government that prioritizes religious doctrine and sectarian control over the safety, rights, and dignity of children.

These practices destroy childhoods, deprive girls of education, expose them to early pregnancy, trauma, and exploitation, and perpetuate cycles of poverty and dependence. Iraq’s laws fail its most vulnerable citizens, allowing religious authorities to override basic protections and leaving families powerless to resist social and economic pressures.

This reinforces our mission: Iraq must be secular, law-based, and uphold women’s and children’s rights unequivocally. Sharia law must have no role in civil protections; international law, common sense, and human rights must guide legislation. Until Iraq enforces real safeguards against child marriage, holds perpetrators accountable, and empowers women and girls to make their own choices, innocence will continue to be stolen, and a culture of fear and abuse will persist.

Article:

In September 2025, survivors spoke out about the deep harm caused by forced marriage practices in Iraq, where girls as young as 13 have been married off to much older men — often under pressure or threat from their families. One survivor described being forced into marriage at age 13 to a 29‑year‑old man, with her pleas ignored and threats of violence used against her to force compliance.

Critics say these individual stories are symptomatic of broader, dangerous shifts in Iraqi law and social practice. Earlier legal amendments have granted religious authorities expanded power over family matters, including marriage, and have opened loopholes that could be used to justify marriages involving minors.

While the amended Personal Status Law officially maintains a minimum age of 18 for marriage, it also allows judges to authorize marriages at younger ages based on perceived “maturity and physical capacity,” and lets clerics interpret marriage rules according to religious doctrine.

Rights advocates warn this legal environment permits and normalizes child marriage — pushing families and clerics to marry off underage girls with little real protection. In some areas, relatives admit marrying off girls younger than 15 without their consent for “financial reasons”, a development human rights organisations have described as a deterioration of protections for children and women.

Iraq’s child marriage issue predates these legal changes. A 2023 UN survey reported that 28 % of Iraqi women aged 20‑24 were married before 18, and a significant portion of those marriages involve girls under 15.

Human rights advocates emphasise that reducing or bypassing age safeguards exposes girls to trauma, exploitation, lost education, early pregnancy, and economic dependency, violating Iraq’s obligations under international agreements such as the Convention on the Rights of the Child and CEDAW.