The attack on women’s rights in Iraq is an attack on all women

At a time when the world is witnessing significant developments in the field of women’s rights through the tireless struggle of women around the world for justice and equality, the Iraqi state is taking an unacceptable step by proposing unjust amendments to the 1959 Personal Status Law. These amendments not only represent a serious step backwards in terms of women’s rights, but are also a blatant violation of the principles of justice and human rights and threaten to increase the social phenomenon of religious fanaticism.

The proposed amendments, which deprive the mother of custody of her children when she marries and transfer responsibility for custody to the paternal grandfather if the father does not want to take custody, are seen as a violation of mothers’ rights and a breakdown of family relationships.

This step would not only deprive women of the right to inheritance and custody of their children, but also opens the door to underage marriages. This means that young girls as young as 9 years old will be legally allowed to marry. Relying on religious teachings to regulate marriage, divorce and annulment and relying on the husband’s religion as a criterion in disagreements between spouses also violates women’s right to determine their faith and decide their personal fate. In the 21st century, when feminist movements and democratic struggles are on the rise worldwide, we see the discussion of these new laws as a serious setback for women in Iraq and Iraqi society as a whole. The proposed changes are not only a violation of basic human rights, but also threaten social stability and lead to destructive fanaticism.

We as Kongra Star recognize that these proposed changes are a real threat to the future of women in Iraq and represent a step backwards. We declare our full solidarity with the feminist movements and democratic organizations in Iraq who are courageously resisting these changes. We stand with all those who reject these discriminatory policies aimed at undermining women’s rights and freedoms. We emphasize that women’s freedom can only be achieved internationally and if a woman’s rights are attacked anywhere else, it is an attack on all women. The preservation of women’s rights achieved through women’s revolutions and ongoing struggles is the duty of all of us. We are therefore called upon to unite our efforts and intensify our struggle to protect and develop these achievements and to oppose all attempts to undermine or reverse our progress. Our fight for women’s rights is not limited to geographical borders, but is a global struggle.

We call on all women and democratic forces in Iraq and worldwide to rise up against this injustice, to defend women’s achievements and to work together to make the 21st century the century of women’s freedom. We can only achieve this by struggling and defending ourselves as women.

Jin Jiyan Azadi

Kongra Star