approved by the Parliament and the Guardian Council, thus it is unclear what its eventual effect
may be.
In January 2020, the U.N. Secretary General expressed concerns about the slow progress of the
bill and noted that “critical articles were reportedly removed from the initial proposal of the
Executive, including provisions protecting women from various forms of violence and
criminalizing domestic violence.”
During its 2019 UPR, the Government noted that was raising awareness on the issue of child
marriage in local communities. Yet, there are no details regarding these awareness campaigns,
and it is unclear what is included in their content, the geographical spread or groups being
targeted. Consequently, the effectiveness of these awareness campaigns cannot be assessed. The
State also could take further measures to ensure that families are not incentivised to permit
marriage of their children.
Separately from government sanctioned awareness campaigns – the effect of which is unclear –
non-governmental organizations (“NGOs”) have also attempted to raise awareness on child
marriage but have been restricted by government interference. Imam Ali Populations, an NGO,
had been active in this regard and carried out awareness campaigns and educational activities in
rural areas; however, in March 2021, the organization was “dissolved” by a court ruling after the
court accused officials of this NGO of "conspiracy" in cooperation with international
organizations against Iran.19 There are reports that other awareness raising campaigns have been
targeted and restricted.
Despite the alleged existence of State awareness campaigns, the problem of child marriage
persists in Iran because the domestic law does not prohibit forced and underage marriage of
children and thus allows such practices to continue. Iranian laws have not yet been amended to
address these concerns.
Between March 2018 and March 2019, the National Organization for Civil Registration reported
over 30,000 marriages involving girls between the age of 10 and 14 years old, including 209
marriages involving girls under the age of 11.20 However, the number is likely to be higher as
many child marriages are unregistered.21 In January 2020, the Secretary General highlighted that
19
https://www.bbc.com/persian/iran-56273882
Report of the Secretary General, Situation of Human Rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran, 2020, para 37
<https://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Countries/IR/Report_of_the_SecretaryGeneral_on_the_situation_of_human_rights_in_the_Islamic_Republic_of_IranA4320.pdf> and See
<www.sabteahval.ir/avej/tab-1499.aspx > (in Farsi)
21
Report of the Secretary General, Situation of Human Rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran, 2020, para 37
<https://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Countries/IR/Report_of_the_SecretaryGeneral_on_the_situation_of_human_rights_in_the_Islamic_Republic_of_IranA4320.pdf >
20
3