The Iranian Registration Organization has recently announced that during the first 9 months of the year 1392, out of a total of 579,871 marriages, 30,956 were related to marriages of girls under the age of 15. According to these statistics, during the past 7 years, more than one-third of women whose marriages were registered were under the age of 19.

In addition, every few weeks, even more heartbreaking news is heard about the registration of marriages of children under 10 years old; among these cases is the permanent marriage and engagement of five children under 10 years old in Hormozgan province.

To investigate the reasons for the occurrence of this phenomenon, its potential damages and social abnormalities, and ways to overcome it, we turned to Saeed Peyvandi, a sociologist and professor at the University of Lorraine in France. He, who began his university studies in sociology at the University of Tehran and completed his doctorate in Paris in the same field, says in an interview with Khat-e-Solh: “Adolescents who should be in school and engaged in their toys, may end up being accused of murder, widowed, divorced, or single mothers in society…”

Dear Mr. Peyvandi, do you see child marriage as a remaining tradition among society in Iran? What social and cultural factors contribute to this phenomenon?

We must see in which social groups such behaviors are possible. Will even urban middle-class families, with a very traditional outlook, be willing to accept such conditions? Will parents with secondary or university education agree to their underage daughter’s marriage? All available data show that marginalized groups in society and impoverished families, especially in rural areas, are the main victims of this phenomenon. What reinforces this assumption even more is the increase in early marriages in recent years. This means that we are facing a phenomenon that cannot be explained solely by tradition. In fact, the existence of such a phenomenon is a sign of social backwardness and the stagnation of certain traditions, as well as a sign of economic poverty; because many of these marriages are more like buying and selling, or the family’s attempt to reduce expenses. Traditions may play a larger role in cultural cover-up. If these families had adequate economic resources or higher education, would they engage in such actions? At the same time, the role of the inactive

According to the International Convention on the Rights of the Child, which Iran has also accepted, all individuals under the age of 18 are considered children. This convention has banned child marriage, yet in the first 9 months of 2013, more than 30,000 girls under the age of 15 were married. Is there no international prohibition for this matter?

Important international treaties, despite their significance, humanistic and modern direction, do not have much enforcement guarantee. These treaties are signed by governments within the framework of intergovernmental organizations such as UNICEF and the United Nations, without necessarily making special efforts to implement them or feeling obligated to put them into practice.

Regarding a specific issue related to children’s rights, several agreements in various forms clearly or indirectly prohibit such actions. For example, the right to compulsory education or the necessity for children to have access to facilities and conditions for their mental and physical growth are considered a form of prevention against early marriages. In countries where governments disregard agreements or internationally recognized norms, the pressure from civil society can be an important tool to raise public awareness and sensitivity. Civil society initiatives can play a positive role in mobilizing public opinion and international organizations. However, in Iran, the restrictions imposed on non-governmental and civil organizations pose serious challenges to the ability of civil society to respond. This is while even the official laws in Iran regarding the age of marriage, contrary to many international agreements, have opened the way for early marriages of girls.

Some say that a child or adolescent may unintentionally give consent to marriage through their own choice. In such a case, how are the rights of the child violated?

No adolescent is capable of understanding the meaning of marriage in its personal and social dimensions at such a young age, and therefore cannot make a real choice. The meaning of this act is nothing but modern slavery. According to the laws of Iran and a large part of the world, girls up to the age of 15 (at least) should be in school, where they should prepare for their future through education. Children need suitable living and educational conditions for their psychological and biological needs. Forcing adolescent girls to marry before the age of 18 undermines their fundamental right to make a real choice and have favorable conditions for their mental and physical growth. Forcing girls into marriage at a young age is a form of violation and destroys their youth, with disastrous consequences for both individuals and society.

What is the role of the judicial and legal laws of the Islamic Republic regarding child marriage?

The laws of the Islamic Republic in this area are contradictory. The Iranian constitution recognizes the right to universal education for all until the age of 15. It is well known that even after marriage, a girl can continue her education. However, at the same time, the legal age for marriage, which was 18 before the revolution, has been reduced to 13 or 15 for “conformity” with religious traditions. This action goes against international agreements and is dangerous for the future of Iranian youth, and it leads to the decline of Iranian society. Simultaneously, in the discourse of many religious leaders and conservative groups, early marriage for girls is considered a virtue and a positive act. The main references for this discourse are some female figures from the early days of Islam who married at a young age. This discourse, without considering the terrible and negative consequences of early and forced marriages and without paying attention to sociological and psychological data, creates a mental and cultural environment for such actions

Mr. Peyvandi; do you know the main cause of child marriage, whether it is the laws in Iran or tradition? The question is, to what extent can officials prevent it by not registering these marriages?

See, the main cause of early marriages is the lack of practical and official laws in this area by the government. A government that has clear policies and determination in this field can gradually effectively combat this social problem. Not registering marriages is not the fundamental solution to fighting this issue. Official institutions must actively stand against early marriages and consider it a crime. Child marriages, especially for girls, used to be a normal and accepted practice in our country’s traditions, as in many other countries. This tradition was prevalent at a time when there was no education for girls or a very low life expectancy, and women were not considered equal citizens with equal rights as men and lived under the shadow of men and their families. These traditions were rooted in the religious beliefs and mindset of that era. Today, these conditions no longer exist, but conservative individuals stubbornly push for early marriages for girls. This is happening while a large portion of these conservatives themselves do not allow their daughters to marry at a young age, or their

In a comparative glance at the laws of other countries in the world or neighboring countries such as Afghanistan, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, or even Turkey, how can we evaluate Iran’s position in this regard?

In the majority of countries around the world, marriage for girls under the age of 18 is prohibited. In some cases, girls aged 17 or 16 can obtain permission to marry with the consent of legal authorities and a doctor, under exceptional circumstances. The situation is not the same in all countries in the region. In countries like Turkey and Tunisia, similar to pre-revolutionary Iran, there are laws to prevent early marriages, but their enforcement by the government is not always serious. In conservative and traditional countries in the region, such as Saudi Arabia, legal supervision is very weak and the role of the family and father is fundamental…

What extent do marriages under 18 years old, according to statistics, harm the physical and mental well-being of children?

Marriage at a very young age is considered a real social tragedy for Iranian society. What can be the fate of these children next to a man who is often much older than them? Many of these marriages sometimes take the form of buying and selling and modern slavery, and become a nightmare for girls who instead of going to school, playing with their peers and enjoying their youth, are imprisoned in a house. The result of these marriages is divorce, constant conflict and tension, domestic violence, and countless psychological and physical damages.

As you are aware, the phenomenon of husband-killing women has recently gained attention. In your opinion and according to statistics, how influential can getting married at a young age be in this matter?

In any case, the suffering, sorrow, and frustration caused by this inhumane experience can sometimes be so great that it drives these girls to rebellious behavior. The phenomenon of husband-selling is, in fact, a tragic end to an experience full of frustration, tension, and various forms of violence. A girl who is essentially sold as a slave to a man, rebels against her “owner” in order to escape the prison she has been trapped in and take revenge on the man who has ruined her youth. There are other phenomena that can be called the hidden pains and damages of society. Among these phenomena is the existence of young divorced women, with or without children.

I cannot provide an accurate translation without the Farsi text. Please provide the Farsi text for me to translate.

Teenagers who should be in school and entertained with their toys, may end up being accused of murder, widowed, divorced, or single mothers in society.

“بهترین روزهای زندگیم را با تو سپری کرده ام”

“I have spent the best days of my life with you.”

What are the solutions for ending the phenomenon of child marriage?

The phenomenon of child marriage as a major social problem must be addressed by authorities and society. Laws must be passed and enforced to prevent this form of modern slavery. The first and most important legal and practical step is to set the minimum age for marriage at 18 in coordination with the international community. At the same time, society must seriously consider the plight of current victims of this unjust fate. Strong legal action and support for children, as well as compulsory education until the age of 15, can play a crucial role in reducing the scope of this damaging phenomenon. Poverty in families is the main reason for such behaviors, so protecting children, especially among disadvantaged groups, should be a top social priority. The government can provide facilities for girls to seek help and counseling if necessary. Unfortunately, it does not seem that there is a serious determination in this area among official institutions, especially as vague statements and speeches, such as encouraging young people, especially girls, to marry quickly, pave the way for the spread

If there is anything left unsaid, please let me know at the end…

In my opinion, in a society where the government does not take serious and persistent action in dealing with early marriages, the only hope for these girls is the efforts and movements of civil society, non-governmental organizations, intellectuals, especially religious intellectuals and critics of religious intervention in politics, journalists, and media activists. Despite limitations, these groups can raise awareness in society and families and provide assistance and counseling to girls who are victims of such marriages or are at risk of such actions, and force the government to take serious action. Banning child marriage must become one of the important demands of civil society. We need a collective conscience within Iranian society that condemns child marriage as unacceptable and inhumane, and through this, a new culture of protecting children in Iran can emerge.

Thank you for the opportunity you have given us in the monthly magazine of “Khat-e-Solh”.