XOFRAN EL-RADÎ

Baghdad –Child marriage and unofficial religious marriage are common practices in Iraq. Unofficial religious marriage also paves the way for polygamy. The victims of unofficial religious marriage and their children don’t have the right to inherit. Feminist and activist Jannat Al-Ghazi spoke to our news agency about the situation of the women, victims of unofficial religious marriage.

“Child marriage is a big problem”

“Unofficial religious marriage is actually a method of human trafficking; this method causes women and their children to lose their right to prove their identities,” Jannat Al-Ghazi said, “After the death of the husbands, women and their children don’t have any rights. This is a crime against children. The children cannot go to school because they don’t have any ID cards. Child marriage is also a big problem. Girls aged between 11 and 15 are forced into marriage.”

She doesn’t have the right to inherit

33-year-old T.A, the mother of two, is one of the victims of the unofficial religious marriage. “My husband left me four years ago. My husband told me he would arrange an official marriage contract but he didn’t. My children have no ID cards. I cannot send my children to school. My ex-husband didn’t arrange any marriage contract to prevent me and my children to inherit,” she told us.

She is a victim of child marriage

28-year-old A.K is one of the victims of child marriage in Iraq. She was forced into marriage with one of the friends of her uncle as his second wife when she was 14. “I was a child and didn’t know what marriage is. One day, I was forced into a marriage with an old man. That man inflicted violence against me. His son also inflicted violence against me. No one should face such things,” she said.