The topic of youth and population policies in Iran has been a subject of discussion in society for some time now. The implementation of these policies, although it may seem politically or even economically reasonable to some, will create many social and economic challenges for both the community and the youth, as well as for the authorities.

The “Youth Population Plan” and incentives set by the Islamic Republic system for childbearing were the subject of our conversation with “Azar Mansouri”, the Secretary-General of the Unity Party and an activist in the women’s field, which is as follows.

Mrs. Mansouri, what is your opinion about the “Youth Population” plan and in your opinion, what positive or negative effects can this plan have on people’s lives?

Policy-making about the population of Iran or the youthfulness of Iran’s population has been on the agenda of the government for years. In the ninth parliament, the proposal for “Population Excellence in Iran” was put forward, and in that proposal, restrictions, suggestions, and incentives were considered. The approach taken was also in response to the concern that a decrease in births in Iran may lead to an aging population in the future – for example, in the year 1420. This means that if currently the majority of Iran’s population is made up of young people, at that point in time, due to the decreasing birth rate, the population of the country may age and experience negative growth; as a result, we may find ourselves in a situation similar to countries that are seeking to compensate for this by accepting immigrants from other countries. From this perspective, this concern has been present for years for the policymakers. It seems that these proposals and laws implemented today are in response to these concerns.

If we sow these concerns, it is true and it must be properly addressed, the law that was written and quickly – even without the public being aware of the process and its details and without being discussed in the open session of the parliament – was approved and then confirmed and announced, it can in no way be a suitable response to these concerns. The reason is that the essence of the problem has been ignored.

What exactly is the problem that you are mentioning? It seems like there is always a missing piece of the puzzle…

The problem is why young people in Iran and Iranian families have no desire for having children. In fact, we should see what issues and concerns have caused our youth to have no desire for marriage, or when they do get married, they do not want to have children. If they do have a desire for having children, they ultimately only have one or two children.

Unfortunately, with these types of incentives and restrictions, not only does the issue of reducing pollution disappear, but also the incorrect address provided incurs additional costs for the country and the people of Iran. As a result, these costs become a problem and another damage, which then requires a portion of the energy and resources of officials and policymakers to be spent on solving new problems and damages.

Given the details of this plan, including the collection of contraceptive methods, what potential risks do you foresee?

The expenses that I mentioned to you are related to these details. Some of these expenses are related to the increase in the number of disabled children. Also, the problems that unintended pregnancies cause and the resulting restrictions and illegal abortions. This issue of illegal abortion will definitely have a lot of psychological and physical damage to women. Additionally, the increase in sexually transmitted diseases such as syphilis or infectious diseases such as AIDS and hepatitis and many other diseases will be among the other consequences of this plan; a plan that comes from wrong policy approaches and lawmakers and those who passed these laws without paying attention to these issues.

Unfortunately, the existing realities in Iranian society have not been taken into consideration, and in my belief, it is said that now we should only form a central task, involve executive agencies in this task, define this responsibility, consider the budget for it, and the people should also provide the necessary conditions for increasing the population of Iran based on this task!

Until the problem is properly addressed, not only will the issue of declining birth rates in Iran not be solved, but this plan itself will cause serious harm. Some of these harms are irreparable for certain parts of society, especially women in Iran. Furthermore, based on my understanding of Iranian society and the reluctance towards childbearing, there will essentially be no positive outcome in terms of increasing birth rates in Iran.

Mrs. Mansouri was one of the early policies of the revolution and the 1960s to encourage childbearing. Later, the population control plan came. It can be said that there was no scientific planning or vision behind these policies. Most importantly, what will happen to the issue of the livelihood of the generation that will be created as a result of encouraging childbearing in the late 1950s and 1960s. What will the job market be like for this generation in their youth and middle age, and how will their future be secured after retirement. Today, they are forcing the implementation of the “youth population” plan. Now, it is unclear what the future holds for the youth of the next generation, given the economic situation of the country…

Yes, after the Islamic Revolution, we faced a rapid population growth. The reason for this goes back to the order of the founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran to form a 20 million-strong army and the conditions imposed by the imposed war and Saddam on Iran. However, later on, due to the lack of necessary infrastructure to accommodate this population, the country faced many problems. Schools were divided into three shifts, universities faced heavy traffic, and employment for this generation became a challenge. In fact, all the issues that exist today are a result of this approach towards the country.

The problem here is that at that time and under those circumstances, given the post-Islamic Revolution and the war that had been imposed on Iran, this approach was strongly welcomed by society. Society accepted that instead of each family having “less children for a better life” – according to the policy that had been formed in the previous regime – it was possible to have a better life with more children, and young people were ready to defend Iran’s borders when necessary. But when we faced such a large increase in population, policies gradually moved towards population control due to the lack of necessary infrastructure in the country – which did not have the capacity to meet the needs of this level of population growth. However, it should be noted that the generation that was added to Iran’s population with this approach no longer welcomes childbearing due to their own experiences. This generation has been struggling with concerns such as unemployment and the inability to provide the minimum necessities for a decent life, as well as experiencing discrimination that discourages them

However, unfortunately, the policymakers of the system do not pay attention to these issues. In fact, I want to say that this missing piece is what the current generation is deprived of, and what keeps society alive is “hope for the future.” Hope will not be easily created, easily formed, or easily preserved.

In such circumstances, it is natural that such plans do not reach a conclusion and only add new costs to the burden of the country and the government.

Do you think religious ideas are also involved in this plan? In your opinion, how ideological is this plan?

No, I do not see any ideological or religious influence in this plan. In fact, this plan is based on an unrealistic strategy. It reflects the lack of attention from Iranian policymakers and the unified government towards the issue of social hope, which is a reflection of the emergence of new issues, the activation of different and diverse forces and expectations in Iranian society, and can no longer be easily contained within these artificial versions of hope and slogans. Among these forces, we can mention workers and other marginalized classes of society, including women, ethnic groups, and even young people. These demands and hopes have been presented in historical narratives, but are ignored in the current developments of Iranian society. In fact, within the framework of the alignment of contemporary movements and forces, these issues are somewhat marginalized.

If serious measures are not taken to form social hope, policies will not be reformed and our approach to interacting with the world and utilizing international capacities will not change, even housing solutions will not be enough to address the pains of Iranian society today. In fact, economic, cultural, and socio-political policies in Iran must be reformed. Iranian society today needs an opening more than ever before. If the requirements of these openings are not taken into account – I say this with certainty – no plan, decision, law, or circular can solve the social problems of Iran. Concerns about declining birth rates are not exempt from this rule.

Today, we are facing such laws that the coronavirus pandemic has created very difficult conditions in the country; some families have faced more economic problems, violence against women in Iran has increased, and unemployment rates have also increased. All of this is in addition to the fact that the country is under sanctions. The sanctions and, of course, mismanagement have caused people’s tables to shrink day by day.

It is natural in such conditions that we witness a significant increase in social disparities in Iran. We are also witnessing a growth in despair and hopelessness, especially among the elite, youth, and educated generation in the country. Today, we are witnessing the decline of justice and a growing class divide, with poverty levels rising and people’s tables shrinking, and moving away from the justice that was once a goal of the 1957 revolution.

How do you assess the future of this project?

In the past month, we have witnessed protests by the people and farmers of Isfahan against mismanagement of water and water scarcity. We have also seen nationwide protests by teachers, which were one of the largest protests that could be seen. Additionally, we are witnessing serious concerns and dangers in Iran’s climate and environment. All of these are evidence of inefficiency. All of these are evidence of mismanagement and neglect of the need for sustainable and balanced development and the use of the opinions of experts and caring individuals in the country. Today, it can be boldly said that the country’s scientific development has come to a halt and as a result, we are witnessing a lack of education and brain drain in the country. We are also witnessing the imposition of heavy costs due to extremism and adventurism in foreign policy.

Despite all these gaps, concerns, and worries that exist, the version under the title of the Youth Population Law can in no way address the problems of today’s Iranian society and the concerns that exist in terms of declining fertility.

In fact, in a general sense, I want to say that if a powerful system exists, it means that it must have the necessary requirements for political legitimacy in the country. A ruling system based on minority rule not only does not seek power, but also day by day adds to the gaps and divisions between the government and the people, as well as between the government and the elites of society. It is clear that the continuation of this approach is very concerning and can be damaging to what extent.

But unfortunately, these issues are not being paid attention to. Strategies and solutions that could open up horizons, increase hope and create optimism are not being considered. The gentlemen are very insular and closed-minded, thinking that with one law they can solve the concern of an aging population – which may be a valid concern. This law will not only have no healing solution for addressing the concerns of an aging population in Iran in the coming decades, but – as I have mentioned before – it will also lead to new problems and serious harm to the population of Iran, including the spread of infectious diseases and an increase in disabled children in the country.

Thank you for the opportunity you have given us.