Justice for Iran | 28 October 2014 – During a Press Conference held on October 26, the UN Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in Iran, Dr Ahmed Shaheed, expressed his concern regarding forced and early marriages of girls in Iran, just ahead of presenting his seventh report to the UN Human Rights Committee. According to Shaheed, current bills under consideration further deepen discrimination against women. In addition, referring to JFI findings analysing 2012 official statistics, the rate of marriage involving girls below the age of 10 rose to 1537, while more than 40,000 girls below the age of 15 faced marriage, and courts were permitted to sanction marriage involving girls below the age of 9.
Following Iran’s first UPR in February 2010, the Islamic Republic failed to accept any of the three recommendations on sexual orientation and gender identity, or act on the ten recommendations it accepted regarding the rights of women and girls. Iran’ second UPR takes place on Friday 31 October 2014 in Geneva.
During a recent nationally televised interview, Mohammad Javad Larijani, Secretary General of Iran’s High Council for Human Rights, refrained from commenting on Shaheed’s report, particularly on homosexuality, forced and early marriage, and said: “We will respond to all issues in detail verbally and in writing through the media” and “in the upcoming UPR session later this week.” In reference to the right to free and full consent in marriage in the UN Declaration of the Right to Marriage and Family, Larijani exclaimed: “The west intends to impose and promote its new interpretation of marriage in the Islamic Republic and to us this is dangerous.”
Following Iran’s first UPR in February 2010, the Islamic Republic failed to accept any of the three recommendations on sexual orientation and gender identity, or act on the ten recommendations it accepted regarding the rights of women and girls. Iran’ second UPR takes place on Friday 31 October 2014 in Geneva.
According to the statistics reflected in Shaheed’s report at least 48,580 girls between 10 and 14 years of age were married out of whom, except for 13, every single girl gave birth to at least one child before reaching the age of 15. In response Iran claims forced marriages are illegal and all such cases were based on mutual consent.
His report makes reference to other related violations such as the legal age for marriage set at 13, conditioning marriage for younger girls on court permission, and refusal by the Guardian Council in 2002 to increase the minimum age to 15 while more recently Iranian MPs moved to accommodate adoptive parents marrying adopted children.
Shaheed’s criticism of gender pay gap
The Special Rapporteur also expressed his concern regarding lack of equal pay for women and men. He also highlighted gender-based discrimination in accessing higher education: “female student admission rate of 62% in 2007-2008 has dropped down to 48% in 2012-2013.” Meanwhile Larijani claims “with regards to education we have progress well and women have made great advances.”
During a recent nationally televised interview, Mohammad Javad Larijani, Secretary General of Iran’s High Council for Human Rights, refrained from commenting on Shaheed’s report, particularly on homosexuality, forced and early marriage
Larijani also states the Islamic Republic supports Universal Periodic Review (UPR): “…it is a regular report and we accept it; Iran has prepared a report following collaboration with organisations and supervision of the High Council for Human Rights, one of the most organised reports so far.”
In its report Iran writes it has implemented all recommendations it accepted in 2010 with the exception of only four. However, a cursory examination of Iran’s human rights record over the past four years and its report this year points to its failure to address many recommendations and issues submitted to the UN.
Over the past two months JFI has briefed more than 70 permanent missions at the UN in Geneva in order to present facts and recommendations regarding the situation of LGBT people and a number of issues pertaining to women’s rights.
JFI also submitted a shadow report with some recommendations on girl marriages, forced hijab, and the situation of homosexual and transgender citizens in Iran to the UN Human Rights Council, as well as recommendations regarding the new policies pertaining to family planning to various member states.
Also see:
Universal Periodic Review: An opportunity to spotlight the rights of lesbian and transgender citizens in Iran
JFI brief and recommendations on early marriage in Iran
JFI brief and recommendations on LGBT rights in Iran
Video clip of presentation of JFI representative at the UPR pre-session organised by UPR Info
