The Iranian census organization has released new statistics on early marriages in Iran. According to the new data, 234,000 marriages of girl children under 15 years of age were officially registered by this organization from March 2017 to March 2018 (Persian year 1396). 194 of these were marriages of girl children under 10 years old. The latest figures on under-15 marriages in Iran during the same period was 43,000.
Based on the new statistics published by the national census organization, the record holders of under-15 marriages in 2017 were the provinces of Zajan with 14.7 per cent, North Khorasan with 12.5 percent, East Azerbaijan with 11.8 percent, Ardabil with 11.6 percent, and Razavi Khorasan with 11.5 percent.
Parvaneh Salahshouri, member of the mullahs’ parliament, had previously announced that early marriages under 15 years constituted 6 percent of all marriages. (The state-run IRNA news agency – January 6, 2019)
Ali Kazemi, advisor to the legal deputy of the Judiciary Branch, announced in March 2019, that between 5 to 600,000 girl children get married every year (in Iran). This figure relates to officially registered marriages and does not include those which were not officially registered. (The state-run daily Entekhab – March 4, 2019)
The legal age of marriage for girls in Iran is 13. The parliamentary judicial and legal committee rejected the plan to increase the minimum age of marriage for girls in December 2018. (The state-run Fars news agency – December 23, 2018)
According to Farshid Yazdani, one of the officers in charge of the associations supporting children, “Divorce is more harmful for children than for adults. Our society has a negative view of divorced women. Unfortunately, these negative views and abuse are more prevalent in the case of divorced children than for adults. Early marriages take place while persons under 18 years of age are not permitted to do any business. Such marriages thus ruin their future and life.”
Yazdani added, “Poverty is the most important economic factor leading to early marriages.” (The state-run Iran daily newspaper – October 30, 2019)
