Iraq's First Lady, Shanaz Ibrahim Ahmed, has joined female lawmakers and activists in voicing concern over proposed changes to the personal status law, warning that the amendments could jeopardize decades of progress in protecting the rights of women and children.
“I am deeply concerned about the proposed amendments to Iraq’s personal status law. Some of these changes could threaten the rights of women and children that we have fought hard to secure,” Ahmed, wife of President Abdul Latif Rashid, expressed on X (formerly Twitter).
The bill, which seeks to amend the 1959 Personal Status Law, is currently under review in the Iraqi parliament. If passed, it would allow citizens to follow religious guidelines in marital matters. Specifically, for Shiite citizens, it would permit adherence to the Jaafari school of jurisprudence, which allows girls as young as nine and boys as young as fifteen to marry.
Women’s rights activists have raised alarms, arguing that the proposed amendments could lead to increased violations of women’s and children’s rights and deepen sectarian divides. Protests have erupted across Iraq, including in Erbil, in response to these concerns.
Ahmed emphasized Iraq’s commitment to international agreements, including the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, which mandates the protection and well-being of all children without discrimination. She urged lawmakers to ensure any changes to the law are fully transparent and align with both the constitution and international legal standards.
While the amendments were scheduled for a vote on Wednesday, the parliamentary session was postponed. However, activists and concerned citizens remain vigilant, with efforts to block the bill gaining momentum. In September, women lawmakers initiated a petition to have the proposed amendments withdrawn from parliament’s agenda permanently.
The debate over the bill highlights deeper political negotiations within Iraq's parliament. Some Sunni MPs have agreed to support the amendments in exchange for Shiite backing of a revised general amnesty law, which has been a long-standing demand of the Sunni bloc.