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| Azra Azari |
Some women's rights activists have described the law passed by the Iranian Parliament, which allows men to marry adopted girls over the age of 13, as "legalizing child abuse." In an interview with Voice of America, Azra Azari, a women's rights activist living in exile in Sweden, analyzes the essence of this law, the stance of various women's rights groups on the issue, and the position of Southern [Azerbaijani] organizations.
However, women’s rights groups in Iran do not all share the same stance on this new law. Some groups have not protested it and even see it as a positive step. Azari explains this second view: “They say that although it was not legal to marry adopted children in the past, it was not explicitly prohibited either. However, the new law accepts the marriage with court approval, and at least the court can protect their rights.”
Azra Azari criticizes the groups that support this view, accusing them of sacrificing women’s rights for their political ideology: “If the legal marriage age for girls in Iran were 18, the debates would be different. But since the marriage age for girls is 13, some see the passing of this new law as the legalization of child abuse,” she states.
She also adds, "In society, adopting orphans has always been considered a virtuous act. However, the current law undermines this view in society and creates a sexualized perspective on the relationship between fatherhood and girlhood."
According to Azari, one of the negative consequences of the new law concerns widows: “If a widow with a daughter wishes to remarry, she will always be concerned about her husband’s potential view of her daughter. In the atmosphere created by this new law, the husband may see her daughter as a potential future wife.”
Some women's rights activists believe that those who try to hide the anti-women nature of the new law are usually forces who portray themselves as "reformists" or groups close to President Hassan Rouhani. Azari shares this opinion: “After Hassan Rouhani became president, they wanted to create a hopeful atmosphere. Before this, they always opposed everything because they saw themselves in opposition to Ahmadinejad. But now they see themselves aligned with the government, and so they remain silent. This is something that does not suit a cultured society. These groups sacrifice women’s rights for political considerations,” she states.
The women’s rights defender from Iranian Azerbaijan also discusses the lack of a serious stance from Azerbaijani organizations regarding the law: “Although the Azerbaijani National Movement has its positive aspects, it fails to address many issues, including women’s and children’s rights. There is also a mindset within the movement that laws passed in Tehran do not concern us. But how long will this continue? Decisions made in the center are still implemented in our community. This type of policy could cause the National Movement to become detached from the masses.”
The activist, originally from Tabriz and living in Sweden, points out that there is no concrete women’s movement in Southern Azerbaijan, which also affects the Azerbaijani national movement's approach to these issues. “The movement’s lack of a program on women’s rights is not because they don’t want it, but due to ignorance. It is our responsibility as women to carry the national thought and also bring issues related to women to the forefront,” she adds.
Link to the original interview in Turkish on the Azerbaijani section of Voice of America:
Əzra Azəri: İran parlamenti uşaqların zorlanmasını qanuniləşdirir