An Iranian Official Defends Child Marriage Due to 'Increased Sexual Manifestations'

An official from the Cultural and Social Council of Women and Family in Iran states that opposing child marriage is inappropriate given the declining age of 'prostitution' and the rise in 'illegal abortions' and 'sexual manifestations' in the country. Fereshteh Rouhafza, the director of planning and policy formulation in this council, also remarked that statistics on the number of girls aged 13 to 15 fleeing are 'available, but it is better not to announce them.' She believes that 'disclosing statistics will encourage individuals in this age group to dare to take such actions, and I believe that presenting certain statistics causes more harm in society.' Rouhafza defended her stance against the prohibition of child marriage in Iran, stating, 'The majority of runaway girls are aged 13 to 15, and certainly, the number of our runaway girls exceeds those who marry in childhood.' According to this official, illegal abortions outnumber legal ones in Iran, but 'certain statistics should not be announced in the country as they have adverse effects.' She criticized the 'decrease' in the age of friendships between girls and boys to 'elementary school ages,' adding that when 'girls at the age of 13 understand sexual matters and pursue them, they certainly need a partner of the opposite sex at that age.' In another part of her remarks regarding 'improper hijab' and 'high sexual manifestations' in society, she noted that 'sexual manifestations in the social space are extremely high to the extent that discussions about the pros and cons of masturbation are aired on television.' She considered the level of 'sexual stimuli' for youth in Iran to be very 'high' and, in response to why other countries with high sexual manifestations have laws against child marriage, she said: 'Those seeking laws against child marriage are merely doing what the international community tells them, and they themselves know nothing.' Rouhafza also claimed that 'when sexual manifestations in society increase and young girls see them and feel the need, if they wish to marry, some say it is a mistake, but if those same girls wish to become prostitutes, that same group says they should be issued health cards.' She criticized the existence of advertisements promoting improper hijab in Iran, stating: 'We have identified a group to monitor magazines and books and, if necessary, prevent the publication of some of them, as the contents of certain magazines can make families and youth unhealthy.' Rouhafza, criticizing 'various surgeries and heavy makeup' that she claims cause 'identity loss' for women, deemed 'makeup and flirtation' alongside cosmetic surgery in the streets as inappropriate. She stated that thick and thin makeup is 'not desirable' in Islam and criticized women for bringing their 'beauty' to the streets. This official from the Cultural and Social Council of Women and Family said: 'I cannot guarantee in Iran that if we remove the chador and hijab, women will not appear on the streets in inappropriate clothing.' Although the child rights protection bill set the marriage age at 18 and imposed penalties on parents who force their children to marry under this age, the general provisions of this bill were passed by the parliament with the complete removal of these articles. However, Fatemeh Zolghadr, a member of parliament, stated that although several clerics opposed raising the marriage age for girls and boys, 'this plan has not yet been dismissed.' She further reported that despite the law prohibiting marriage for girls under 13, 'there are clauses that permit this.' She listed items such as 'guardian's consent, consideration of children's interests, court approval, and lack of a complainant' among these clauses, stating: 'These lead to the continued observation of marriages of young girls who are not in a position to marry, but instead of being children, they become wives and mothers.' Zolghadr announced that the priorities of the women's faction include changing the marriage age for girls to a minimum of 15 or 16 years and added that this faction is working to 'prohibit the marriage of girls under 13 without conditions.' According to statistics, about 40,000 girls under 15 marry in Iran each year, and more than 1,000 girls under 15 get divorced.