President of the Iraqi Parliament supports the campaign of signatures of civil society organizations, To withdraw the suggest to amend the Personal Status Law No. 188 for the year 1959

 Baghdad: IWJF

A group of women lawyers and activists met with representatives of civil society organizations, To withdraw the suggestion to amend the Personal Status Law No. 188 of 1959, on Saturday, July 8,the parliament president Dr. Salim Al-Jubouri, in the presence of MP Rezan Sheikh Delir and Rehab Al-Abboudi. During the meeting, the two sides discussed the recent suggest to amend the said law in parliament, And the points identified by specialists during the symposium held by the Iraqi Journalists Forum within the Shahrazad project in cooperation with the Alliance 1325 and the Arab Union of Specialized Women, Which suggested that the proposal to amend the law strengthens the concepts and sectarianism by linking the competent court (personal status court) with the Scientific Council of Sunni and Shiite sects. Which threatens the unity and independence of the judiciary, and deals with the articles covered by the amendment concerning the family, Which threatens the unity and independence of the judiciary, and deals with the articles covered by the amendment concerning the family, In a way that threatens to dismantle the family and social system, such as facilitating marriage contracts, divorce outside the court and marriage of underage girls. While the President of the Parliaments, Salim al-Jubouri expressed his understanding and cooperation with the demands of civil society, The amendments that raised the concerns of national and international parties on the guarantees of rights and freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution and international covenants and is based mainly on a controversial constitutional article, He said Jubouri: happy for the role of civil society to monitor all that is contrary to the Constitution. For their part, activists from the campaign and the deputies discussed the most important measures to be adopted, The extent of the conflict

between what is currently proposed with CEDAW and the recommendations of the recent committee on the need to withdraw any law that allows the marriage of minors, And the importance of addressing the damages resulting from these marriages, and what is the result of any legislation that violates human rights and

violates the rights of women,
Stressing that the organizations are ready to cooperate in any step to ensure a sound legal environment, especially that the Personal Status Law No. 188 of 1959 is one of the finest laws in the Middle East.  The meeting concluded with the handing over by the President of Parliament of the signatures of the campaign which amounted to more than 2000 live and electronic signatures, Which the activists had handed over on Tuesday, July 6 to the relevant committees in the Parliament with the official statement of the campaign, And studies completed in this regard. The delegation included Ms. Waelit Korkis on the alliance of Resolution 1325 and Ms. Fatna Baban, President of the Arab Union for Specialized Women, And activist Hind Qassam al-Qatrani for the human rights organization in Basra and activist Rasha Aboudi for Tamkeen for participation and equality of the province of Nasiriyah, And a member of the Board of Directors of the Journalists Forum Ms. Aseel Al-Bayati, legal and academic Dr. Bushra al-Obeidi in addition to the President of the Iraqi Journalists Forum Ms. Nibras Mamouri.