Iraqi women’s organizations, legal experts rally against Personal Status Law amendments
Shafaq News/On Tuesday, women’s organizations and legal experts in Iraq voiced strongopposition to proposed amendments to the country’s Personal Status Law (PSL),which is up for a vote in the Iraqi parliament.
“We, aswomen’s organizations in Kurdistan, along with legal experts, judges, andactivists, want to raise our voices and unite to prevent the amendment ofPersonal Status Law No. 188 of 1959,” Bahar Ali, head of women's rights organizationEMMA (We), told Shafaq News.
Aliemphasized that the amendments “go against the most basic rights of women andchildren in Iraq.”
The Iraqiparliament has twice failed to pass the contentious amendments to the PersonalStatus Law after placing them on the agenda alongside other controversial laws,including the General Amnesty Law and the law to return confiscated properties.
Earlier,Amnesty International urged the Iraqi parliament to drop the planned changes,warning that their passage would violate the rights of women and girls, deependiscriminatory practices, and potentially allow “the marriage of girls as youngas nine.”
Despitepublic outrage, some lawmakers continue to back the amendment, in particular theShiite Coordination Framework.
