Iraq is about to make legal changes to the country’s marriage law, allowing men as young as nine to marry girls. Amendments have also been proposed to deprive women of the right to divorce, child custody and inheritance, according to The Telegraph.

The bill would also allow citizens to choose between religious authorities or the civil judiciary to decide family matters.

The conservative government led by a coalition of Shia parties wants to approve the proposed amendment in an effort to protect girls from “immoral relationships.” The second amendment to the law was passed on September 16.

Named ‘Law 188’, it was considered one of the most progressive laws in West Asia when it was introduced in 1959, the report said. It provided an overarching set of rules to govern Iraqi families, regardless of their religious sect.

The coalition government said the proposed amendment is in line with the strict interpretation of Islamic Sharia law and aims to “protect” young girls. The government, with a parliamentary majority, is expected to push through the legislation despite opposition from Iraqi women’s groups.

According to UNICEF, high rates of child marriage already occur throughout Iraq. About 28% of Iraqi girls are married by the age of 18 and the proposed changes are expected to worsen the state of affairs.

Dr. Renad Mansour, a senior research fellow at Chatham House, told The Telegraph that the move is the latest attempt by Shia Islamists to consolidate power and regain legitimacy.

“It’s not all Shia parties, it’s just the specific parties that have power and are really putting pressure on it,” he said on the website.

“Emphasizing the religious side is a way for them to try to regain some of the ideological legitimacy that has diminished in recent years,” Mansour added.

Activists sound the alarm

Human rights activists and experts in Iraq expressed fears that the proposed changes would erase women’s rights and give priority to religion.

The report also noted that Iraq would resemble the Islamic regimes in Afghanistan and Iran, where a theologian is the country’s supreme leader.

A loophole in the country’s law allows religious leaders to conduct child marriages, provided they are carried out with the consent of the girl’s father. This loophole is believed to have led to a large number of child marriages. Activists fear the new law could allow such marriages to be legalized.

Human Rights Watch said the amendment would put young girls at greater risk of sexual and physical violence and also deny them access to education and employment.