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| Child Marriage in Iran |
Due to the lack of regular official statistics on early marriages since 2023, there is no precise data on the situation in various regions of Iran. However, according to Iranian media reports, early marriages remain a serious problem for families and society in East Azerbaijan.
According to existing statistics, this province ranks second after Razavi Khorasan in terms of underage marriages. The Sistan and Baluchestan region is ranked third.
The study covers the period from 2015 to 2019, during which an increase in early marriages was observed. Razavi Khorasan, East Azerbaijan, Sistan and Baluchestan, and Khuzestan provinces were among the regions with the highest number of early marriages until 2017.
The negative consequences of early marriages are numerous, including an increase in divorce rates, medical and psychological issues among young girls, lack of education, and reduced job opportunities. However, Iranian laws do not create sufficient barriers to limit early marriages.
The issue seems to be exacerbated by factors such as low cultural-educational levels and poor living conditions in families. It is reported that early marriages not only negatively affect the individual's life but also the social and economic structures of society.
In September of last year, the "Etemad" newspaper reported that the dissemination of information about early marriages had been banned in Iranian media. While the official reason for this decision has not been disclosed, it is assumed that growing sensitivity to such news in society is one of the main reasons for the decision. For example, after reports about underage girls’ pregnancies were published in some media outlets, several government-affiliated organizations, including the Civil Registration Organization, stopped the dissemination of statistics on this issue.
The Islamic Republic of Iran joined the Convention on the Rights of the Child in March 1994. Early marriages are contrary to the provisions of this convention, which considers anyone under the age of 18 a child and calls for the protection of their rights.
Current Iranian legislation permits early marriages. According to Article 1041 of the Iranian Civil Code, girls can marry at the age of 13 and boys at the age of 15 with parental consent and approval from a relevant court.
Between 2018 and 2019, a draft law was presented to the Iranian parliament to amend this article of the Civil Code. The law aimed to raise the minimum marriage age. However, the bill was not approved due to resistance, including claims that it contradicted Islamic law.
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| Zahra Behrouz Azar, Vice Presidency for Women and Family Affairs |
Despite some forces within the Iranian government advocating for changes to this law, no progress has been made in over 40 years. Recently, Zahra Behrouz Azar, the Iranian President's Deputy for Women and Family Affairs, stated, "Marriage at the right time is good, but when a child has not reached full awareness, is not ready to make choices and build a life, and is forced into a new life, marriage is not acceptable for anyone." She claimed that this problem is not widespread in the country and that early marriages should be "stopped" in Iran.
According to the reformist-leaning "Etemad" newspaper, between the winter of 2022 and the fall of 2023, at least 27,500 girls under the age of 15 were married in Iran.
Link to the original text in Turkish on the Azerbaijani section of Voice of America:
İranda erkən nikahlarda ikinci yeri Şərqi Azərbaycan vilayəti tutur