“Distressing registered figures on marriage of girls before legal age have been coming up in the past couple of years, including marriage of girls even under 10 years of age,” presidential deputy on women and family affairs Shahindokht Mollaverdi said, adding, “
Presently, the legal age of marriage is 13 years of age, but according to the articles of the Civil Code, if the daughter’s parent deems appropriate, she can get married even before she is 13.” She pointed out that most of the underage marriages are done out of poverty.
Mollaverdi also pointed out that “the average age of addiction has plunged to 13 years for girls” and there has been a change of pattern of addiction from traditional material to industrial material and amphetamines.”
The results obtained from the atlas of women across the country indicate that there are several issues that need to be urgently addressed, Mollaverdi said. “The issues of female heads of households, female university graduates, and young women in general are among those issues. Presently, there is no balance between women’s responsibilities at home and their social responsibilities. This has brought double pressure on them. Furthermore, no solution has been thought of for women’s job security,” she added.
