Demonstrations are set to take place on Thursday across seven Iraqi provinces in response to a highly controversial bill proposing amendments to the Personal Status Law, which critics argue would effectively legalize child marriage and undermine women's rights.

Coalition 188, a newly formed alliance of non-governmental organizations, activists, and influential political figures, has called for protests in the provinces of Baghdad, Basra, Dhi Qar, Babil, Kirkuk, Diwaniyah, and Najaf. The group's name refers to the Personal Status Law, officially known as Law No. 188 of 1959.

The Iraqi parliament recently conducted the first reading of the bill but has yet to vote on the proposed amendment. If passed, the legislation would allow Iraqis to choose the rules of either the Shiite or Sunni sect at the time of marriage to govern all personal status-related matters.

The proposed bill outlines adherence to the provisions of the Jaafari school of jurisprudence for the Shiite sect, permitting marriage for girls as young as nine and boys at fifteen.

Inas Jabbar, a board member of the Iraqi Women Network, expressed grave concerns, stating that the amendment "violates human rights, especially women’s rights, and supports excluding women and girls from receiving inheritance and other rights. Not to mention that the amendment also allows girls to be married off before the age of ten."

Jabbar urged parliament to reject the proposal, arguing that it would create significant issues for a law that has been in effect for over six decades. Under the current Personal Status Law, couples must be at least 18 years old to marry or 15 with judicial approval and the consent of a legal guardian, typically a male relative.

In Iraq, many marriages are unregistered and conducted by religious leaders, making them legally invalid. The proposed amendments aim to legitimize marriages authorized by religious figures.

The bill was introduced by independent MP Raed al-Maliki, who previously proposed controversial amendments to Iraq's anti-prostitution law, criminalizing any practice of homosexuality and sex-reassignment surgeries earlier this year.

Protesters and rights groups hope that the demonstrations will pressure lawmakers to reconsider the bill, which they see as a step backward for women's rights and legal protections for children in Iraq.