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MPs in Iraq could be about to open the door to legalising child marriage of girls as young as 9 years old. NINE! They also want to strip women of their rights to divorce, child custody, and inheritance. Massive backlash stopped attempts to change the law before – now Iraqi women are asking Avaazers to make their call global. Join now and share widely, so politicians see that the world stands with Iraq’s women and girls!
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Dear friends,
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This could end up legalising child rape.
MPs in Iraq’s male-dominated Parliament want to leave family matters up to religious courts, which could force girls as young as 9 years old to get married. And they’re fighting dirty – trading girls’ and women’s rights for political favours.
Iraqi women are risking their freedom and personal safety to save little girls from this horror – and they’re asking our global community to stand with them.
There’s a sliver of hope: twice before, a massive backlash stopped attempts to gut longstanding protections for girls and women, and local activists say that rallying global public opinion, and pressure on the government ahead of key elections, can still make a difference. We must stop this bill before it comes to a vote, so add your name NOW, and we’ll help spread Iraqi women’s voices far and wide!
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Women in Iraq took to the streets this summer to urge MPs to keep their hands off the law protecting their rights which currently prohibits child marriage. They’ve gone to the courts. They’re keeping going despite threats, intimidation and odds stacked against them.
Now the politicians pushing to empower pro-child-marriage religious courts are closer than ever to getting what they want, and they're using negotiations over an explosive amnesty law to win the votes they need to rob women and girls of their rights.
It will take a small miracle to stop them. But just like the women in Iraq, our community doesn’t give up easily. Join this urgent call and let’s make it big everywhere…then when it’s huge, we’ll take it to Iraq’s donors and trading partners in the UN and EU, amplifying voices from Iraq and making sure MPs know the world is watching.
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Avaazers have stood with brave activists fighting child marriage before in Bangladesh. We helped Gambian activists successfully defend a ban on female genital mutilation. And women’s rights advocates have used hundreds of thousands of signatures from our community to push for change at the highest levels of power. Let’s now stand with women and girls in Iraq.
With hope,
Nate, Antonia, Mo, Sarah, John and the whole Avaaz team
*The image used for this campaign is of a young Italian actress at an event to denounce child marriage in Italy.
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