Imprisonment for husbands who marry second wife without the consent of the first one

The Personal Status Law in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, which prevents husbands from marrying a second wife without her consent sparked anger among men in Kurdistan.

They called on the Men’s Union in the region to amend the law, which according to them is biased toward women. The union records around 35 to 50 complaints annually because of the law that pushes men in Kurdistan to marry women from other Iraqi governorates where polygamy is allowed.

According to the Iraqi Civil Status Law, amended by the Kurdistan Parliament in 2008, the conditions required to allow a man to marry a second wife or more are; the consent of the first wife before the court or the first wife’s chronic illness, the good financial condition of the husband, and to sign a paper that he will be fair to both wives. Violating the conditions requires a prison sentence of six months and a fine.