Children are defined as everyone under the age of eighteen by both the Iraqi Civil Code and the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Since one is not able to take responsibility and make decisions at this time and age. Thus, a serious look at his rights is a current and permanent necessity.
Above all others, including parents, educators, and journalists, the government is always in charge of providing and defending children's rights. The best interests of children must be considered by all decision-makers, including those in the government, legislature, judicial system, and even the private sector. According to international standards, children have the right to life, survival, and development. They are entitled to the freedom of thought, religion, and belief as well as the right to a name and identity. A child must be protected and free from sexual as well as physical abuse, trafficking, neglect inappropriate treatment and use for other purposes, including sexual purposes.
In Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, there are numerous laws that are both directly and indirectly concerned with the welfare of children. These include the Iraqi Constitution, the Personal Status Law, Juvenile Law, Juvenile Protection Law, the Labor Law, the Citizenship Law, the Penal Code and the Kurdistan Regional Government's Domestic Violence Law. However, there is no law protecting or guaranteeing the rights of children in Iraq or the Kurdistan Region. The proposed law has been introduced in both parliaments for years, but due to negligence and barriers, they have not been read or passed.
Children's rights are not taken into consideration because of the adverse economic situation, the lack of comprehension of children and developmental stages, and the lack of a national and constructive vision. Additionally, child labor is accepted as the norm in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region (This could occasionally be challenging and inappropriate given the child's physicality or at the incorrect time, for example; those kids who work late at night and stay out late). Since there are some major problems in the country, including gender inequality, discrimination between boys and girls is observed in children as well. On the other side, the Personal Status Act's allowance of child marriage (marriage between individuals under the age of 18) is a serious crisis since, starting at that age, children are deprived of many of their rights and freedoms and suffer significant bodily and mental suffering, especially for girls during pregnancy and childbirth.
Additionally, academic, cultural, and legal institutions can exert pressure on the Iraqi and Kurdistan Regional Governments to pass the legislation into law and order the relevant organizations to implement it. In addition to the lack of laws, the issue of disregard and the absence of the rule of law are significant phenomena in the country. The main cause is a lack of genuine political will, which can defeat tribal and traditional thinking. otherwise, how can abuse affect more than 90% of children in the country between the ages of one to fourteen? And about 2,000 complaints of violence against children should be registered annually!