the Islamic Penal Code.9 Yet with a court’s permission, a legal guardian has the right to legally
enter a child daughter into a compulsory marriage, regardless of whether she gives free and
informed consent to the marriage.10 Additionally, virgin girls and women above the age of 13
years old, who are marrying for the first time, are legally required to have their father’s or
paternal grandfather’s permission.11
The Government of Iran has stated that when a case of forced marriage is reported to the
Judiciary and a case is filed, the forced marriage can be dissolved in accordance with the Civil
Code provisions and those who forced the marriage are prosecuted.12 However, underaged
children lack access to redress and legal recourse as they cannot file lawsuits without the
representation of their legal guardian.13
During its 2019 UPR, the Government of Iran stated that a bill entitled “Protection, Dignity and
Security of Women against Violence” would be “aimed at criminalizing new forms of assault,
harassment and violations of the rights of women and adopting preventive and support measures
to stop violence against women.”14 Reportedly, the bill would also prohibit forced and early
marriage for girls under 18 years old.15 The current version16 of the bill does not change the
current application of the Civil Code in regard to early marriage, but has a strong focus on
education and expanding knowledge on women’s issues, such as calling for educational courses
for judges and other judiciary staff and it would obligate the state broadcaster to produce more
programmes that promote the support of women and the prevention of violence against them as
family values.17 The bill has been under review since 2010,18 and was approved by the Iranian
Government in January 2021. However, before it becomes legally binding, the bill must still be
9
Universal Periodic Review, 2019, Reply of the Islamic Republic of Iran,
<https://undocs.org/en/A/HRC/43/12/Add.1 >
10
Iran Human Rights Documentation Center, <https://iranhrdc.org/wpcontent/uploads/pdf_en/LegalCom/Womens_Rights_Commentary_389929723.pdf >
11
NGO Submission Committee on the Rights of the Child, 2016,
<https://tbinternet.ohchr.org/Treaties/CRC/Shared%20Documents/IRN/INT_CRC_NGO_IRN_19809_E.pdf >
12
Universal Periodic Review, 2019, Reply of the Islamic Republic of Iran,
<https://undocs.org/en/A/HRC/43/12/Add.1 >
13
Suuntaus Project, Finnish Immigration Service- Country Information Service, ‘Violence against women and
honour-related violence in Iran’, 26 June 2015, <http://www.migri.fi/download/61597_Suuntausraportti_VakivaltaIran_finalFINAL_kaannosversio_EN.pdf?96fa691925bfd288 >
14
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, 4 October 2015:
<https://bit.ly/2youDGX >
16
https://shenasname.ir/laws/7023
17
https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2021/2/28/protecting-dignity-irans-push-to-fight-violence-against-women
18
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 >
15
2