Concerns have arisen regarding the possibility of nine-year-old girls marrying in Iraq following controversial amendments to the country's personal status law. However, the actual situation proved to be more complex.
Under current Iraqi legislation, the minimum age for marriage is 18 years. Judges may permit marriage from the age of 15 if certain conditions are met. Thus, the age of nine is not established as the minimum threshold for marriage in the final legal framework.
The debate over child marriages is intensifying against the backdrop of this phenomenon across various parts of the Arab world. In Gaza, war, displacement, hunger, and school closures are accompanied by a sharp increase in registered cases of child and forced marriages, demonstrating that girls face similar risks for entirely different reasons.
Family matters in Iraq, including issues of marriage, divorce, inheritance, and child custody, are governed by the Iraqi Personal Status Law of 1959. In January 2025, parliament approved amendments allowing Muslim couples to choose rules based on the Ja'fari school of Islamic jurisprudence for their family and marital affairs.
These changes sparked controversy over whether moving away from a unified national system in some family matters would weaken the protection of women and children. UN experts warned during the discussion of the amendments that they could lead to a regression in protection concerning marriage, divorce, and child custody. Proponents of the amendments argued that they grant Iraqis greater freedom in organizing family affairs in accordance with their religious beliefs. The Iraqi parliament stated that the changes comply with constitutional provisions allowing citizens to follow personal status rules according to their religion, sect, beliefs, or choice.
The age of nine became a central element of the dispute because early proposals and discussions about applying Ja'fari rules triggered warnings about the potential possibility of marrying girls at that age. Nevertheless, Iraqi law maintains the marriage age at 18, and a judge can authorize marriage from age 15 provided there are specific conditions, such as physical capacity, consent of a legal guardian, and establishment of the necessity of marriage. The final structure also requires that the personal status rules under the Ja'fari school comply with the age provisions contained in the existing Iraqi Personal Status Law.
In 2025, Iraq informed the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child that marriage at the age of nine is not permitted, and that individuals facilitating marriages outside the legal framework may be punished. However, correcting the myth of the nine-year-old age does not end the debate. One of the main issues is the exception allowing marriage before 18. Girls can still legally marry from age 15 with judicial approval, meaning that marriage before adulthood remains possible.
The issue goes beyond what is written in the law. UNICEF data shows that approximately 28 percent of Iraqi women aged 20 to 24 married or were in unions before reaching 18. In May 2026, Iraqi legal experts, scholars, government representatives, and UNFPA staff gathered in Baghdad to discuss family law and the protection of women and girls. Child marriage was identified as one of the serious social problems continuing to affect the lives and futures of girls. Poverty, interrupted education, displacement, and social pressure can increase the risk of early marriage, with these pressures becoming even stronger during conflicts.
Gaza illustrates how child marriage can rise even without significant changes in marriage legislation. Before the war, the rate of child marriage in Palestine was declining: from 26 percent in 2009 to 11 percent in 2022, according to UNFPA data. This progress is now under threat. According to emergency court data reviewed by partner organizations, at least 400 girls aged 14 to 16 were granted marriage permits over four months in 2025. The actual number may be higher, as some marriages occur informally and may not be registered.
The situation worsened in 2026. According to UNFPA, the number of registered forced and child marriages in Gaza increased by 123 percent between January and June. The agency links this increase to severe hunger, poverty, loss of income, and school closures. Displacement and instability may also prompt some families to view marriage as a way to protect their daughters or reduce financial burdens. It is important to note that the 123 percent figure refers to the increase in registered cases, not necessarily the overall prevalence of child marriage. UNFPA noted that the expansion of protection services may also have facilitated case registration.
When families lose housing, income, and access to education, decisions are made based on survival needs. Girls may live in overcrowded shelters with limited privacy and safety. Schools may be closed, families may have low incomes, and normal protection systems may collapse. Under such conditions, some families may perceive marriage as a form of protection. However, humanitarian organizations warn that early marriage can expose girls to other risks, including dropping out of school, violence, and early pregnancy.
According to 2025 data cited by UNFPA, the adolescent birth rate in Gaza has more than doubled compared to pre-war levels. Progress has been made, but it has been uneven. UNICEF estimates that about 40 million brides live in the Middle East and North Africa. Poverty, limited education, social norms, conflict, and displacement have been cited as contributing factors to child marriage. The risk may also be significantly higher among displaced communities. UNICEF reported in 2026 that child marriage affects 58 percent of women aged 20 to 24 living in Syrian refugee settlements in Lebanon, compared to 15 percent in Beirut. This indicates that legislation alone is insufficient to explain why girls marry before adulthood.
International organizations call for strengthened legal protection, reduction of exceptions allowing marriage before 18, and better enforcement of existing laws. However, preventing child marriage also requires addressing the circumstances that might push families toward this step. Such measures include keeping girls in school, reducing poverty, ensuring protection during conflicts, guaranteeing official marriage registration, and providing women and girls with access to legal and social support. Iraq and Gaza demonstrate two very different sides of the same problem. In Iraq, the debate focuses on the law, its exceptions, and the application of family rules. In Gaza, war and displacement are undoing years of progress. The circumstances differ, but the question at the heart of both cases is the same: are existing laws and protection systems sufficient to ensure girls' safety?
