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I think it was the year 2010. I was throwing a huge tantrum for a water bottle that I lost at school. I was nine or ten at that time. It was a pink sports drink type of bottle that I was very proud to own—my prized possession. I turned the entire house upside down over a pink bottle. Funnily it was easily replaced later and I was completely unbothered about it afterwards. That's what you do when you are a kid. Now imagine marrying off this child to whom her pink bottle is the most precious possession. This indeed is the reality in Iraq. At the tender age of 9, it is being proposed as legal for young girls in Iraq to enter into the complex institution of marriage.
The recent proposal in the Iraqi parliament to legalize marriage for girls as young as 9 is a shocking reminder of how deeply ingrained this injustice is.
An amendment to Iraq’s 1959 Personal Status Law was officially proposed in the Iraqi parliament on Aug. 4. The draft law could make it legal for nine-year-old girls to get married. Proposed by Iraqi MP Ra’ad al-Maliki, and supported by conservative Shi’ite factions, it sparked protests on the streets of Baghdad and other cities across the country.
This legalization would let religious authorities handle family matters like marriage instead of civil courts; making civil courts, that protect women's rights, unnecessary. However, MP al-Maliki, denied that it would lead to child marriage- calling such claims "lies" from people who oppose applying religious law (Gordon, 2024).
Even with legal protections, child marriage remains prevalent in Iraq, with approximately 28% of girls marrying before the age of 18, according to a 2023 UNICEF report. Disturbingly, Iraq has one of the highest rates of child marriage in the world, with 7% of girls married by age 15 and 28% married before 18 (Dagres, 2024). Many of these are unregistered and not recognized by the state. Often arranged by religious or tribal leaders, such marriages leave girls from accessing rights like inheritance and child custody; making girls more vulnerable to abuse and exploitation. They also have no access to financial support or alimony in case of divorce.
Even with such pressing issues, the Iraqi MP proposed legalizing marriage for girls at 9 and then tried to justify the potential rise in child marriages with absurd excuses, all in an attempt to impose religious law, even if it is at the expense of women's and children’s rights. Where the rest of the world is still battling to create a safe and positive environment for women and young girls, such an outrageous proposal only proves that we have a very long way to go.
Every three seconds, a girl is married somewhere in the world, with India accounting for one-third of all child brides. 76% of pregnancies among girls under 18 happen within marriage, leading to health risks and trapping them in poverty.
In Bangladesh, an alarming 51% of girls are married before the age of 18, and 16% are married before they even turn 15. Child marriage is widespread in rural areas, where over 53% of girls are married early, compared to 44% in urban areas. The situation is severe in regions like Rajshahi, where 66.7% of girls are married before 18, and Khulna, with 61.8% (Brides, n.d.).
More than half of girls who marry early do not complete their education, locking them in cycles of poverty and restricting their prospects.
The effects of this pervasive practice are tragic. More than half of girls who marry early do not complete their education, locking them in cycles of poverty and restricting their prospects. The situation is so depressing that studies suggest that abolishing child marriage in Bangladesh might boost women's incomes and productivity by 12%. Girls who marry at an early age lose their opportunity for an education and a better future. In such scenarios, the chances of these young girls remaining in school are greatly reduced, and any prospects for growth are lost.
Take for instance the story of Lamana-a 15-year-old girl from Niger. She was married off at a young age due to her family's financial issues. Her traditions were also a factor at play. For marriage, she had to drop out of school. This only limited her opportunities. Lamana's early marriage placed her in a vicious circle in which she was unable to obtain the knowledge she needed to change her life, leaving her impoverished and deprived. Sadly, Lamana never had the opportunity to realize it fully then. Lamana lost important social connections, which caused her to become estranged from her friends. Furthermore, the health concerns of early pregnancy harmed her physical and emotional well-being, reducing her ability to thrive. Lamana's tale reveals the deep, long-term implications of early marriage. (7 Short Child Marriage Stories—Plan International, 2024).
These are not just stories or numbers; it is the reality for millions of girls around the world, whose dreams and potential are crushed by the devastating consequences of child marriage.
Marriage before the age of 18 is a blatant violation of human rights, yet every day, countless children are pushed into it. At the age when I got upset over a water bottle, we cannot think that they should be married. But the recent proposal in the Iraqi parliament to legalize marriage for girls as young as 9 is a shocking reminder of how deeply ingrained this injustice is. While the world marks the 16 Days of Activism with the theme "UNiTE to End Violence Against Women," proposals that directly attack the rights of women and children are still being made. This is not just a failure—it's an insult. It exposes the helplessness of feminists and protection workers, showing how little has truly changed. It's a cruel joke, a "show" of progress, while the most vulnerable are left to suffer. How much longer can we stand by while these atrocities continue unchecked? It's like a step “forward” for Iraq and a giant leap backward for women everywhere.
Deblina Datta is new to understanding the complexities of the world and the reasons why some groups continue to be left behind. However, as a graduate of Chittagong University with a major in Development Studies, she believes that through learning, she can discover ways to use her potential to empower those in need. She aspires to make a career in policymaking. With the hopes that small efforts can lead to big change she is actively working toward making a difference.
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