In the memory of Farzaneh Moradi
Who was forced to marry at the age of 15
Became a mother at the age of 16
Fell in love at the age of 19
Was detained following the murder of her husband at the age of 20
…and faces execution at the age of 26
For PFD version, click the picture.
Introduction
Girl marriage in Iran is a not a thing of the past. It is not an occasional event in remote villages and towns. It is not a custom among the nomads, the impoverished or the homeless. Official statistics demonstrate that girl marriages are on the rise. The relevant narratives support this rise and point to its spread among all peoples and parts of the country. Findings of a recent report by Justice for Iran (JFI) on girl marriages in Iran points to the fact that in 2012, at least 1537 girls below the age of 10 and 29,827 girls between 10 and 14 years of age have been forced to marry. Together, this population is equivalent to a student body large enough to leave 133 primary and middle schools unoccupied due to untimely marriage. These statistics stem from the fact that under the Islamic Republic there is no set minimum age for marriage. Although according to law the minimum age for girls is set at 13 and for boys at 15, the guardian is entitled to seek a judge’s approval to marry off a child at any age, even infancy. In addition, this past October, the Islamic Republic Parliament passed a bill granting guardians the right to marry adopted children following a judge’s approval for those below the legal age limit.
Why are girls forced to marry?
Religious, cultural, economic and political problems and legal impediments are often offered as possible explanation for marrying girl children. Over time, these and other attempts increasingly fail to justify such marriages. Majority of the comments on the “No to Girl Marriages” Facebook page point to the fact that many continue to refer to these grounds, as well a range of other reasons, as a means of continuing the practice of girl marriages. Marriage as a means of social advancement



***
Girl marriages take hold of new victims everyday. There are few who do not know of girls married at a young age. The accounts briefly shared in this report, most prominently point to the wide range of population in social and geographical areas affected by this phenomenon. These first hand accounts question those assumptions that attempt to justify girl marriages as “a non-Iranian problem ” or “an occurrence in villages and remotes towns” and points to the economic, cultural and religious causes of this challenge. Lack of legal and social protection for girl children affected by early marriage is another issue made obvious by these accounts. In effect, girl children who are among the poorest and the weakest in society must singlehandedly face abuses in an early marriage and struggle with manifold deprivations throughout their lives. Lack of an opportunity to live a healthy childhood, lack of educational opportunities or education alongside one’s peers, physical injuries due to sex, labour at a young age, subjection to domestic violence, running away from one’s home to escape forced marriage and even suicide are some of the many challenges. Publicising, discourse and critical examination of this phenomenon may not save today’s generation of girl children, but it may challenge and awaken those who continue to support girl marriages.]]>