United Nations has vehemently condemned the move by Iraq’s parliament to amend the law legitimising men to marry nine-year-old girls.

UN deputy secretary-general Amina Muhammed, in a social media post on Tuesday, said such a law would strip young girls of their rights and dignity.

“The Iraqi Parliament’s proposal to lower the legal marriage age for girls from 18 to 9 years old is an assault on childhood,” she stated.

Iraq’s parliament is on the verge of passing an amendment to the country’s “personal status law,” which could constitute a major setback for women’s rights, just like those obtained under the Taliban.

The proposal, if passed into law, would not only alter the marriage age for girls from 18 to nine years in the country but also remove women’s rights to divorce, child custody and inheritance.

Ms Muhammed, however, insisted the proposal undermines the potential of girl children to grow and thrive in the country.

“Girls are not spouses—they are children who deserve their right to grow up with protection and dignity,” she added.

Meanwhile, sectarian conflict in Iraq has led to a government dominated by the Shia Muslim religious majority, which has made attempts to amend the personal status law twice before.

Such efforts were, however, met with strong opposition from Iraqi women.