Concluding Observation Committee on the Rights of the Child CRC/C/IRN/CO/3-4 para
60a
Full recommendation:
Develop awareness-raising campaigns and programmes on the harmful effects of child marriage
on the physical and mental health and well-being of girls, targeting households, local
authorities, religious leaders, and judges and prosecutors.
Assessment using Impact Iran human rights indicators1
The law in the Islamic Republic of Iran (“Iran”) continues to permit child marriage by stipulating
that the legal minimum age for marriage is 13 years old for girls and 15 years old for boys.2
However, children who have reached puberty can marry with parental consent and court
approval.3 In Iran, the predefined age of puberty and the age of legal majority is 9 years old for
girls and 15 years old for boys.4 Marriage before puberty is criminalized in accordance with
Article 50 of the Family Protection Act5 and is punishable under Article 646 of the Islamic Penal
Code of 2013.6
In 2018, a proposed amendment to Article 1041 of the Civil Code, which would raise the age of
marriage for girls from 13 to 16 years old while permitting marriage at an earlier age with legal
and medical approval, was rejected by the Parliament’s Committee for Judicial and Legal Affairs
(“Committee”).7 In February 2019, the chair of the Committee stated that a “new plan” would be
introduced for approval of Parliament and the Guardian Council.8 As of March 2021, Iran has
taken no further action in this regard.
During its last Universal Periodic Review (“UPR”) in November 2019, the Government of Iran
noted that forced marriage is prohibited under Article 1062 of the Civil Code and Article 646 of
1
CCPR.23.1.S.1., CCPR.23.3.S.1., CCPR.23.4.S.2.
CCPR.23.3.P.1., CCPR.23.2.P.1.
CCPR.23.3.O.1., CCPR.23.4.O.1., CCPR.23.1.O.2
2
Article 1041 of the Civil Code as amended up until December 2000, NGO Impact Iran Coalition, Joint Submission to the
Committee on the Rights of the Child, 2016,
<https://tbinternet.ohchr.org/Treaties/CRC/Shared%20Documents/IRN/INT_CRC_NGO_IRN_19809_E.pdf >
3
Iran Human Rights Documentation Center, <https://iranhrdc.org/wpcontent/uploads/pdf_en/LegalCom/Womens_Rights_Commentary_389929723.pdf >
4
Article 146 and 147 of the Islamic Penal Code: <https://shenasname.ir/subjects/salamat/1571-mojazat92 >
5
The Family Protection Law, adopted on Feb 19, 2013: <https://shenasname.ir/subjects/family/1470 >; Universal Periodic Review,
Iran, 2019, <https://undocs.org/A/HRC/43/12 >
6
Islamic Penal Code: <https://shenasname.ir/subjects/salamat/1571-mojazat92>
7
Amnesty International, UPR submission 2019,
<https://www.amnesty.org/download/Documents/MDE1305732019ENGLISH.PDF >
8
Information from Impact Iran; see <www.tasnimnews.com/fa/news/1397/11/17/1941311/ >
1