Human Rights Watch condemns amendment to Iraqi Personal Status Law for undermining rights of women and children

BAGHDAD — The recent amendment to Iraq’s Personal Status Law has sparked widespread concern, not only within the country but also among international organizations. Human Rights Watch (HRW) voiced its strong opposition, warning that the Iraqi Parliament’s efforts to amend the law could erode fundamental rights by allowing religious authorities to regulate marriage and inheritance matters, bypassing state law.

In its report, HRW highlighted that the proposed changes could legitimize the growing problem of child marriage in Iraq rather than combat it. The draft amendment would allow couples to choose which sect’s provisions under the Personal Status Law apply to their marriage, with the husband’s sect taking precedence if the couple belongs to different sects.

HRW criticized the amendment as a reinforcement of sectarianism that undermines the legal equality guaranteed to all Iraqis by the Iraqi Constitution and international human rights law.

Sarah Sanbar, a researcher at Human Rights Watch, urged Iraqi parliamentarians to reject any attempts to strip women and girls of their hard-earned legal protections, emphasizing the importance of preserving the rights that have been gained over decades.