Bethnahrin Patriotic Union official Joseph Sliwa condemns proposed personal status law amendments, calls them an assault on women and children

BAGHDEDE, Iraq — Former Iraqi MP and Vice President of the Bethnahrin Patriotic Union (Huyodo Bethnahrin Athroyo, HBA) Joseph Sliwa criticized the proposed amendments to the Personal Status Law, stating to Syriac Press that they demean women and children and would effectively sanction the exploitation of underage girls under the guise of legality.

Sliwa accused proponents of the amendments of exploiting the public’s limited understanding of legal matters in Iraqi society. He challenged those claiming the amendments would not permit the marriage of minors to explicitly state this in the proposed changes, emphasizing that no marriage contract should be allowed for Iraqi women under 18, whether inside or outside the courts.

He warned that these amendments would make Iraqi women vulnerable to the predatory desires of some men, asserting that supporters are misleading the public to push their unjust agenda.

According to statistics from the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq, one in four girls is married before reaching adulthood, and 22% of marriages conducted outside the courts involve girls under the age of 14. In 2022 alone, more than 5,000 girls under 18 were married in Iraq.