Iran: marriage of very young girls on the rise
According to the law in Iran, permission from the father and a court decision are required for the marriage of girls under 13 years old.
AFP - ATTA KENARE
Text by: Siavosh Ghazi
3 min
According to official figures, the number of marriages of young girls between the ages of 10 and 14 increased sharply in Iran last year.
Which causes real concern.
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From our correspondent in Tehran,
According to the latest information available, nearly 24,000 young girls aged 10 to 14 were married in the first nine months of the last Iranian year.
That is to say between March and December 2020. A figure up 12% compared to the same period the previous year, while the marriage of young girls was down in previous years.
Likewise, no less than 36,000 marriages of young girls between the ages of 15 and 18 have taken place in the country.
By law, the father's permission and a court decision are required for the marriage of girls under 13.
The government of ex-president Hassan Rohani tried to change this law, without success.
In remote or poor areas, families do not have much knowledge of the law or ignore it.
Poverty and marriage assistance
According to experts, extreme poverty and the deterioration of the economic situation are the main causes of early marriages.
Inflation exceeds 50% and many families in poor regions are destitute and do not have enough money to live.
For example, the marriage of young girls is more important in poor regions and among the inhabitants of regions affected by drought.
In particular among the villagers and those who had to leave their region to come and live around the big cities.
The other explanation is the help given by the government to encourage marriage and childbirth.
In recent years, the government has provided financial assistance to newlyweds.
This has caused an increase in the number of marriages of young girls in some poor regions.
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See also: Iran: Hamdam, a government dating application to promote marriage
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