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To end child marriage, we must enforce and strengthen laws, ensure girls have access to quality education and reproductive health services, empower them with information and choices, and address the root causes of poverty and gender inequality. |
In many societies, including Iran, child marriage has deep historical, cultural, and religious roots. However, in today’s rapidly evolving world, it seems this practice is no longer just a relic of the past—it is being actively used as a solution to contemporary social changes. Ironically, this “solution” has itself become a problem.
The Rise of the Modern Woman
Over recent decades, women across Iran and other parts of the world have increasingly gained access to education, employment, and public life. Despite persistent challenges, many women now attend universities, hold professional positions, and carve out independent social identities. The "modern woman" is no longer bound to traditional roles. She has the power to choose, the courage to say no, and a growing awareness of her rights and desires. Financial independence, self-awareness, and refusal to submit to imposed conditions are no longer rare.
This evolution is not without its ripple effects. As women assert their autonomy, societal patterns shift. Marriage is happening later, and divorce rates are rising. Women not only adapt to change—they help drive it. But their changing lifestyles and values often clash with the dominant traditional and religious frameworks still deeply embedded in parts of Iranian society.
Early Marriage: Erasing the Problem?
This growing tension between modern womanhood and conservative norms creates a social paradox: how to reconcile new realities with old values. For some, the answer lies in a deceptively simple approach—eliminating the problem by erasing it altogether.
Early marriage, particularly for girls, is increasingly being used as a way to prevent the emergence of the modern woman altogether. By pushing girls into the roles of wife and mother at a young age, families and communities attempt to mold them into the “ideal” woman—defined by obedience, modesty, and domesticity.
However, this so-called solution only leads to deeper harm. Early marriage, by its nature, deprives children of the ability to give informed, meaningful consent. Their psychological, emotional, and intellectual maturity is not yet formed, making any such consent inherently invalid. Even if the child appears compliant, the decision is rooted in coercion, not choice. As such, child marriage is inherently forced marriage—a practice that perpetuates violence, subjugation, and inequality.
The Role of Tradition and the Family
The persistence of child marriage is closely tied to the strength of traditional institutions, particularly the family. While the family is not inherently traditional, it has historically served as a stronghold for conservative values. Nuclear, patriarchal family structures often reproduce the cultural norms of previous generations, including rigid gender roles and early marriage.
As family structures and social expectations evolve—driven by urbanization, education, and exposure to global media—traditional norms are increasingly being challenged. But in parts of Iran where traditional values remain strong and are supported by institutional power, these changes are met with resistance.
In such regions, child marriage is perceived as a tool to reinforce traditional family structures, internalize the emotional and functional roles of women as wives and mothers, ensure virginity before marriage, prevent perceived moral decline or promiscuity, and block alternative forms of relationships such as cohabitation or “white marriage” (non-official unions).
In effect, to avoid white marriages, some communities choose black ones—early, forced, and often harmful unions.
Geographic and Cultural Disparities
Patterns of child marriage vary significantly across Iran. Data suggests that Tehran—with its more urban, progressive culture—has the lowest rate of child marriage. In contrast, regions such as Sistan and Baluchestan and rural areas around Isfahan, where traditional thinking remains dominant, report the highest rates.
While economic factors—like poverty, unemployment, and limited access to education—undoubtedly contribute to child marriage, cultural norms remain the most powerful driving force. It is culture, more than any other factor, that perpetuates and legitimizes the practice.
The Legal Landscape
Iranian law does not offer strong protections against child marriage. Legally, the minimum age for marriage is set at 13 for girls and 15 for boys, but exceptions abound. With a guardian’s permission and court approval, children can be married at even younger ages. This legal loophole renders the concept of a “minimum age” practically meaningless.
Although early marriage is not a religious obligation, the fact that Islamic law permits it gives supporters both legal justification and moral defense. Moreover, in Iran, religion and tradition are deeply intertwined—mutually reinforcing each other in public and private life.
Tags: Child marriage, Modern woman, Tradition, Forced marriage, Patriarchy, Iran