Iran: 1,474 child-bearing children under the age of 14 in 1400
In one year, mothers under the age of 20 in Iran gave birth to more than 69,000 children, some of whom were children themselves. Child marriage has increased sharply in Iran in recent years, and poverty is cited as one of the main causes.
According to the latest official statistics from the Civil Registration Organization, published on Wednesday, April 14, about 1 million 106 thousand babies were born in Iran last year, which is a slight decrease compared to the previous year's figures.
According to ISNA news agency, in 1400, 69,103 babies were born to mothers aged 10 to 19, mothers who are considered a "high-risk group" in terms of childbearing.
Of this number, 1,474 were born to mothers aged 10 to 14, who are themselves children and adolescents. These babies demonstrate the increasing prevalence of child marriage in recent years.
Child marriage: a silent form of rape
ISNA wrote in a report not long ago that child marriage is a "type of silent rape" that in most cases causes severe psychological and physical harm to young mothers.
According to Article 1041 of the Civil Code of the Islamic Republic, the minimum legal age of marriage is 13 for girls and 15 for boys. Before the revolution, these ages were 15 and 18.
The laws of the Islamic Republic have also opened the way for the marriage of minors, allowing this practice "with the permission of a guardian, provided that it is in accordance with expediency and at the discretion of a competent court."
Some experts believe that increasing poverty is the main reason for the increase in child marriage in Iran in recent years. At the same time, government propaganda to increase marriage and childbearing, as well as some traditions in a number of regions, have also had an impact on this situation.
Islamic rulings and puberty for girls at the age of 9
The tradition of early marriage of young girls is relatively more prevalent among some Iranian ethnic groups, and the teachings of Islam, which allow polygamy and set the age of puberty for girls at 9 years old, play an important role in this.
Neda Hoshyar, a clinical psychologist, told ISNA in January of last year: "The debate over the aging population, the declining birth rate, and the excessive increase in divorce rates in the country have led lawmakers to consider child marriage as a solution to the youthful population and reducing the divorce rate."
The Leader of the Islamic Republic has repeatedly spoken about the need to increase the population in recent years, and government officials have taken many steps to satisfy his opinion, but so far they have not led to the desired results.
According to Tasnim News Agency, in April 2019, Ali Khamenei, defending his assertions about population growth, said: "Today, in the world, those countries that have large populations have achieved many opportunities thanks to it; China is an example, India is an example."
Data from the Statistical Center of Iran shows that in the spring of last year, the marriage of girls aged 10 to 14 increased by 32 percent compared to the same period the previous year.
According to the latest statistics from the Civil Registration Organization, even if Khamenei's repeated insistence has led to an increase in the marriage of underage girls, it has not had a significant impact on the increase in births so far.
