rights of women and adopting preventive and support measures to stop violence against
women.”9 Reportedly, the bill would also include the prohibition of forced and early marriage for
girls under 18.10 However the bill has been under review since 201011 and as of February 2021 is
under the review of the Iranian Parliament.12 In January 2020, the UN Secretary General
expressed concerns about the slow progress of the bill. Additionally, the Secretary General noted
that “critical articles were reportedly removed from the initial proposal of the Executive,
including provisions protecting women from various forms of violence and criminalising
domestic violence.”13 14 The Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran also noted during its
2019 Universal Period Review that bills already drafted and currently going through the adoption
process dealt with the prohibition of early marriage, although without specifying the age
limitation. The Government added that it was raising awareness on the issue of child marriage in
local communities.15
Between March 2018 and March 2019, the National Organisation for Civil Registration reported
over 30,000 marriages involving girls between the age of 10 and 14, including 209 marriages
involving girls under the age of 11. 16 17 However, the number is likely to be higher as many
child marriages are unregistered.18 In January 2020, the Secretary General highlighted that “the
Government [of the Islamic Republic of Iran] expressed the view that setting the minimum age
of marriage regardless of the cultural context would increase unregistered marriages.”19
Additionally, a large number of provisions under the Iranian Civil Code are discriminatory
towards women. These provisions notably include the legal age of marriage,20 the share of
inheritance,21 and the right to divorce.22 In marriage, the Civil Code provides rights to the
husband over those of the wife,23 notably by establishing that the position of the ‘head of the
9
Universal Periodic Review, Iran, 2019, https://undocs.org/A/HRC/43/12
Ceasefire Centre for Civilian Rights, Centre for Supporters of Human Rights and Minority Rights Group International
September 2019, https://www.justice.gov/eoir/page/file/1203136/download ; Iran Newspaper, ‘Hamsari ke zendegi nemikonad
amma mamnou’ol khorouj mikonad [A spouse who doesn’t live but bans me from leaving the country],’ 4 October 2015,
https://bit.ly/2youDGX
11
Ceasefire Centre for Civilian Rights, Centre for Supporters of Human Rights and Minority Rights Group International
September 2019, https://www.justice.gov/eoir/page/file/1203136/download
12
New York Times, https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/05/world/middleeast/iran-sexual-violence-metoo-women.html
13
Report of the Secretary General, Situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran, 2020,
14
See https://en.radiofarda.com/a/new-watered-down-draft-law-on-violence-against-women-iniran/30173089.html ; and
www.isna.ir/news/98071612729/ (in Farsi).
15
Universal Periodic Review, Iran, 2019, https://undocs.org/A/HRC/43/12
16
Report of the Secretary General, Situation of Human Rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran, 2020, para 37
17
See www.sabteahval.ir/avej/tab-1499.aspx (in Farsi)
18
Report of the Secretary General, Situation of Human Rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran, 2020, para 37
19
Ibid.
20
Article 1041, Civil Code of the Islamic Republic of Iran. https://iranhrdc.org/the-civil-code-of-the-islamic-republic-of-iran/
21
Articles 861 to 948, Civil Code of the Islamic Republic of Iran. https://iranhrdc.org/the-civil-code-of-the-islamic-republic-ofiran/
22
Article 1133, Civil Code of the Islamic Republic of Iran. https://iranhrdc.org/the-civil-code-of-the-islamic-republic-of-iran/
23
Articles 1102 to 1119, 1133 to 1142, Civil Code of the Islamic Republic of Iran. https://iranhrdc.org/the-civil-code-of-theislamic-republic-of-iran/
10
2