Changing divorce patterns in Iran/ Maryam Hosseini

Divorce in Iranian society is no longer a marginal or merely individual phenomenon, but a social, legal, and economic issue; an issue that reflects profound changes in the family structure, gender relations, and living conditions of society. The increase in the number of separations, especially consensual divorces, the change in the age of divorce, and […]...

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Iman Soleymani: Whether the Dowry Is a Thousand Coins or Fourteen, It Won’t Solve Family Problems/ Ali Kalaei

Dowry has always been a contentious issue in Iran, both legally and socially. In recent years, with the worsening economic situation, it has become even more important and complex. Rooted in religious and historical traditions, dowry has now—amid social changes and economic crises in Iran—turned into a legal battleground and sometimes a source of tension […]...

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Mahr: A Guarantee of Women’s Rights or a Tool for Reproducing Gender Inequality?/ Alireza Goodarzi

Mahr can be understood within the broader context of tradition: it has come down to us from a distant past and represents a period that may not necessarily align with the needs of our present. I put forth this claim on the basis of questions that have been persistently asked within our society for many […]...

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“My Mehr Is Yours, My Life Is Free”: From Slogan to Official Policy/ Mousa Barzin

In recent years, mahrieh (marital dowry) has become a topic of contention and dispute both in Iranian society and within the domains of policymaking and legislation. The culturally widespread trend of setting exorbitant mahrieh amounts has led lawmakers and the Iranian judiciary to pursue policies aimed at reducing legal and judicial support for mahrieh. However, […]...

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Legal Analysis of the New Proposal to Cap Dowry at Fourteen Gold Coins/ Sina Yousefi

In recent years, the issue of dowry-related imprisonment has become one of the significant challenges facing Iran’s legal and judicial system. On one hand, it concerns the rights and human dignity of men indebted for dowries; on the other hand, within the framework of Iran’s family law, dowry has become the only effective tool for […]...

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Why Superficial Reforms to the Dowry Law Are Ineffective/ Mohammad Hadi Jafarpour

Contrary to the belief that the challenges of dowry can be resolved merely by amending the Law on Financial Convictions, one of the most important and thought-provoking points in reforming family law is the necessity to consider religious matters and the codified rules outlined in the Book of Marriage. Despite the pressing need to adapt […]...

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From Profiteers to Victims of Dowry: Law, Poverty, Culture, and Media/ Mahtab Alinezhad

What is a dowry? In Islamic culture and jurisprudence, a dowry is property that the husband commits to the wife at the time of concluding a marriage contract, which he must pay her upon her demand. This property can be cash, coins, gold, real estate, or even non-material items like Quranic education or arranging a […]...

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From Gold Coins to Real Estate Titles: Dowry as a Mirror of Economic Transformations and Class Divides in Iran/ Morteza Hamounian

One person’s dowry is only “14 coins,” and another’s is “over one thousand and three hundred coins” (which corresponds to the bride’s age). The amount of this dowry also fluctuates each time. Dowry is supposed to be a sadaq and a symbol of affection and love, but like the price of housing and cars, it […]...

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Women, Dowry, and the Law: A Cycle of Injustice/ Elahe Amani

The proposed bill in Iran’s parliament in the year 1404 (2025) for reforming the dowry law has sparked widespread debate among legal experts and women’s rights activists. While the parliament’s goal is to reduce legal cases and the number of dowry-related prisoners, many feminists and advocates of women’s rights believe that such proposals do not […]...

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Continued Neglect of the Bill Against Violence Against Women/ Parvaneh Ahmadi

Gender-based violence against women is a subject that has been presented to the parliament in the form of a bill since 2020, but for unknown reasons, the parliament has not put it on its agenda. This bill is one of the few measures that have been taken to support women and has been drafted during […]...

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Fatima Zolqadr: The council is currently working on a legal adjustment for dowry / Ali Kalai

This is a caption. Conversation with Ali Kalai Sayyed Fatemeh Zolqadr, in the tenth round of parliamentary elections, has entered the Islamic Consultative Assembly from the “Coalition of Comprehensive Reformists, Second Step” list in Tehran. She is the daughter of Sayyed Mostafa Zolqadr, a representative of another parliament who has been elected to the Islamic […]...

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Issues and problems of prisoners in second marriage/ Siamak Malamahmoudi

“منظوری از شهر تهران” “A View of Tehran City” Conversation with Siamak Malamhamedi The upcoming conversation is with a woman whose husband has been in prison for some time due to his inability to pay the dowry for his previous marriage. Both the husband and wife have been married and divorced once before. The woman, […]...

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