“Sawtuha” network: Appreciate the role of the judiciary for divorced women and maintain their gains in the personal status law

IWJF: Baghdad

“Sawtuha” network for Women Human Rights Defenders received on Sunday, 1 September, a copy of the statement of the President of the Supreme Judicial Council on the high rate of divorce and child custody, while appreciating the role of the Iraqi judiciary in taking decisions and measures that guarantee women’s political and social rights However, we would like to point out that “Sawtuha” network has already filed a lawsuit on April 19, 2019 in a competent court against a group that organized defamation, abuse and intimidation campaigns on social media against divorced women and demanding that they abolish Article 57 of the Personal Status Law concerning the custody of the mother,the proceedings are still pending.

Therefore, we emphasize that the network is not against the vision of the Judicial Council in amending Article 57 in accordance with the interests of the custodians, and one of the network priorities is to create a family atmosphere even after the separation of parents, and joint care, and to create a way of dialogue and an atmosphere of understanding between parents towards their children because they are the pillar of society. But with the need not to take away custody from the mother, and to ensure the rights of women guaranteed by the Personal Status Law and that the amendment to ensure those gains and rights.

The network supports the idea of coexistence and respect between parents in the interest of children, away from libel and abuse of divorced women, which considered a crime in itself. Especially, the decision to disperse in advance came at the request of one of the parties, and the parties should bear the consequences of the decision and work objectively towards the next.

we ask the Iraqi judiciary to put an end to those abuses against divorced women, and this is what we expect from the results of the lawsuit filed in the competent court.