Lawmakers in Iran have defeated a bid to outlaw the marrying of girls aged nine to 13, just days after the findings of a new global report indicate, once again, that women fare worse in Islamic countries.
A female lawmaker described as a reformist expressed regret at the decision, which was taken by the parliamentary committee dealing with legal and judicial affairs, saying forcing children to marry young was akin to “killing them.”
“We intended to allow little girls to enjoy their childhood but unfortunately the motion failed,” the ISNA news agency quoted Tayebeh Siavashi as saying.
Currently, girls in Iran may be legally married at 13 although those as young as nine may be married with the permission of their fathers or a court.
The rejected motion had aimed to lift the legal marriage age to 16, and to enable marriage between 13 and 16 only with the approval of a legal guardian.
Read full report here: https://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/patrick-goodenough/iran-wont-outlaw-marriage-under-13-girls-islamic-countries-fare