Baghdad, Iraq- Human Rights Watch (HRW) has condemned Iraq’s newly enacted Personal Status Law, which took effect on February 17, 2025, as a serious violation of women’s rights, despite recent amendments. The organization warned that the law fails to ensure gender equality and exposes women and girls to increased risks of abuse.
In a statement released on Monday, HRW noted that the amendments, which followed months of legal and political disputes, still undermine women’s rights to equality before the law. While the organization acknowledged the success of women’s rights groups in preserving certain protections—such as the minimum marriage age, child custody rights, and restrictions on polygamy—it emphasized that the law remains problematic.
“It’s deeply disheartening to see Iraqi leaders move the country backward rather than forward on women and girls’ rights,” said Sarah Sanbar, HRW’s Iraq researcher. She added, “Though the final text includes important revisions, particularly on the minimum age of marriage, these changes merely take the law from terrible to just plain bad.”
One of the most contentious aspects of the original proposal was an attempt to lower the legal marriage age for girls to just 9 years old. This provision sparked strong opposition from activists and human rights organizations, ultimately leading to a revision. The final law sets the minimum marriage age at 15, but still requires judicial approval for those under 18.
Sanbar warned that the law’s long-term impact would likely “change the fabric of Iraqi society at the expense of Iraqi women and girls’ independence and ability to make their own decisions.” Despite some revisions, HRW continues to argue that the law fails to provide adequate protection for women and girls, marking a significant step backward in the fight for gender equality in Iraq.
