Children’s Day in Iran: The Challenges and Forgotten Rights of Iranian Children S. Rouzbeh ۱۴۰۴/۰۷/۱۹ On International Children’s Day, S. Rouzbeh examines the gap between Iran’s symbolic celebrations and the realities facing children, including poverty, child marriage, child labour, barriers to education and violence. S. Rouzbeh – 20 November, International Children’s Day, reminds us of a simple yet profound truth: the future of every nation depends on how its society regards its children. In Iran, despite the National Children’s Week and symbolic cultural and educational events, the lives of millions of children are bound up with poverty, dropping out of school, early marriage and violence. The slogans are repeated every year, but children remain deprived of their basic human rights. The Global Definition of a Child and Iran’s Position Under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, every person under the age of 18 is considered a child. The Convention was adopted in 1989, and almost every country in the world, including Iran, is a party to it. However, when Iran acceded to it in 1372, it added a reservation stipulating that the Convention’s provisions could be implemented only insofar as they did not conflict with Islamic law. This broad reservation has meant that many of children’s fundamental rights in Iran—including freedom from forced marriage, access to free education and protection from violence—are not fully upheld. National Children’s Week in Iran In the Islamic Republic, what is known as ‘National Children’s Week’ is held every year from 15 to 21 Mehr. The stated purpose of choosing this week is to coincide with the start of the academic year and emphasise the cultural identity of the Iranian child. 16 Mehr is recognised as National Children’s Day. Each day of the week is devoted to a theme such as the environment, family, play, the media or peace. This decision was approved by the Islamic Republic’s Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution and subsequently recognised by the UNICEF office in Iran. But reality is a long way from these displays. Iranian children are grappling with structural problems, and over the past 46 years the legislative bodies have failed to create an effective system of protection. Without oversight, the laws have brought children nothing but poverty, hunger and discrimination. Iran’s Laws and Commitments on Children’s Rights Iran has two principal laws on child protection: the Child and Adolescent Protection Act, passed in 1381, and the Protection of Children and Adolescents Act, passed in 1399. These laws define child abuse and exploitation as crimes, but enforcement and oversight are extremely weak. There is no comprehensive system of prevention and no dedicated budget for fully implementing these laws. In 1397, the Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution approved the National Document on the Rights of Children and Adolescents. Its aim was to establish what was described as an Iranian-Islamic framework for children’s upbringing and protection. In practice, however, this document too has stalled because of a lack of funding and conflicts between religious principles and international standards. Child Marriage in Iran One of the clearest manifestations of the violation of children’s rights in Iran is early marriage. Under Article 1041 of the Civil Code, the minimum marriage age is 13 for girls and 15 for boys; with the guardian’s permission and a court ruling, marriage at an even younger age is also possible. This is one of the Islamic Republic’s most inhumane laws, since it effectively leaves the way open for the marriage of young girls. Official statistics from the National Organisation for Civil Registration and UNICEF reports show that in 1401 alone, more than 31,000 marriages involving girls aged 10 to 14 were registered in Iran. Over the past five years, more than 184,000 marriages involving girls under 15 have been registered. According to UNICEF, 17 per cent of women aged 20 to 24 in Iran were married before the age of 18. These early marriages are often driven by poverty, family coercion or traditional beliefs. Their consequences include leaving school, high-risk pregnancy, depression, domestic violence and the loss of opportunities for girls’ personal development. Child marriage is not only a clear violation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child; it is also a serious threat to Iran’s future social wellbeing. Child Labour and Family Poverty According to a joint 2023 report by UNICEF Iran and the Welfare Organisation, there are around 120,000 working children in the country, although civil society activists believe the actual figure is several times higher. These children work in the streets, informal workshops and brick kilns, and also collect rubbish. Many are in deprived provinces such as Sistan and Baluchestan, or are migrants or lack identity documents; they are denied access to school and healthcare. Education and Children Out of School UNICEF estimates that more than 770,000 children aged 6 to 16 in Iran are out of school. Although barriers to enrolment were removed for some migrant children in 2015, poverty, early marriage and work have prevented them from returning to school. Even in state schools, compulsory payments, illegal fees and a lack of facilities violate the principle of free education. Domestic Violence and Corporal Punishment Iranian law still does not fully prohibit corporal punishment at home. Article 1179 of the Civil Code allows parents to discipline their children within reasonable limits, while Article 158 of the Islamic Penal Code also provides an exception for reasonable discipline. These provisions provide a legal basis for the continuation of domestic violence against children. In schools, although regulations declare corporal punishment prohibited, there is no enforcement mechanism, and reports of physical punishment and abuse in classrooms are published every year. According to domestic research, 55 per cent of Iranian children have experienced some form of physical punishment and 45 per cent psychological punishment. Statistics and documented cases from Iranian newspapers and official sources In one case, the newspapers Fararu, Entekhab, Tasnim, Asr-e Iran and Etemad Online reported in Mehr 1404 on the death of “Nima Najafi” following corporal punishment in Zanjan. According to reports, Nima Najafi, an eighth-grade pupil from the village of Sohrin in Zanjan, suffered cardiac arrest and died after his PE teacher made him run in the schoolyard. His family and witnesses confirmed that this had been a form of punishment. The Minister of Education ordered an immediate investigation, and Parliament also called for judicial proceedings. 2. Cases of corporal punishment and pupil injuries in 1403 In a report entitled “Physical punishment in schools must be eliminated”, the newspaper Shargh wrote that, in just the first 17 days of Mehr 1403, five cases of physical punishment in schools had been reported in the media, including: A pupil’s tooth being broken in Kerman A fractured jaw and severe bruising in Tehran And a case of a broken finger in South Khorasan 3. Statistical report on official complaints of corporal punishment According to the newspaper Donya-e Eqtesad and the Tabnak news agency, between 1393 and 1395 more than 2,318 formal complaints against teachers for corporal punishment were registered, of which 1,526 were confirmed. 4. Severe punishment in schools in Kermanshah and Mashhad Other reports have described several cases of harsh punishment in schools: in Kermanshah, a teacher hit several pupils with a stick, and in Mashhad’s Tabarsi neighbourhood, a 10-year-old pupil suffered a fractured pelvis after being physically punished. 5. A series of poisonings of girls at schools (1401–1402) From Azar 1401 to Ordibehesht 1402, more than 700 girls’ schools in 28 provinces across the country faced suspected cases of “respiratory poisoning”. According to the newspaper Ham-Mihan and confirmation from members of Parliament, more than 13,000 schoolgirls developed symptoms of poisoning, although no official cause was identified. Corporal punishment remains common in Iranian schools despite being prohibited by regulations, and in some cases has resulted in injury and even death. More than 2,000 complaints were recorded over the three years from 2014 to 2017, and cases have continued to emerge since then. The serial attacks and poisonings at girls’ schools in 2023–24 were one of Iran’s biggest educational crises of the past decade, severely damaging children’s psychological wellbeing. The Ministry of Education’s response was limited to a promise to investigate, and there is no effective accountability mechanism for families. No response has been given to this either. Child abuse and the protection gap According to official figures from the Social Emergency service, more than 50,000 calls related to child abuse were recorded in 2023–24, most concerning physical abuse and parental neglect. In many cases, victims have no genuine legal or psychological refuge, and returning to the same harmful environment is unavoidable. The judicial system still has no specialist children’s court with a broad protective approach, and the process of hearing complaints is lengthy and costly. Ignoring UNICEF’s warnings In official statements in 2022 and 2025, UNICEF warned about violence against children in Iran. In its statement of 27 November 2022, the organisation called for the immediate cessation of violence by the Islamic Republic and its repressive agents against children during the national uprising. In a June 2025 statement, UNICEF’s acting representative in Iran said that “children must not pay the price for political crises”. Despite these warnings, the Islamic Republic has made no changes to its domestic policies. Population-growth programmes, known as the ‘Youthful Population Law’, focus solely on increasing births without taking families’ financial circumstances into account, and provide no support mechanisms for children’s development and education. According to the United Nations and Human Rights Watch, this law violates women’s rights and family health. Children: a burning asset Children are the country’s true future-makers, yet in Iran they are becoming silent victims of poverty, discrimination and neglect. Families living below the poverty line receive neither targeted financial support nor counselling and healthcare services. While the government calls for people to have children, many children already here are denied the most basic rights: education, nutrition, healthcare and security. This situation not only runs counter to the international commitments of the Islamic Republic of Iran, but also poses a threat to the country’s future development and social security. Conclusion and a path to reform First, the Iranian regime’s reservation to the Convention on the Rights of the Child must be withdrawn, so that the principle of the child’s best interests governs all legislation. Second, the minimum age of marriage must be set at 18 for everyone, and all marriage below that age must be prohibited. Third, the law must explicitly prohibit the physical and psychological punishment of children at home and at school. Fourth, free and compulsory education through the end of year nine must be guaranteed, and no school should have the right to charge families fees. Fifth, a national programme to support poor families and eliminate child labour must be drawn up, and data on children’s circumstances must be published transparently. Sixth, population policies must shift away from unplanned childbearing towards investment in the quality of life of children who are already here. Today’s child is tomorrow’s citizen. A society that disregards its children’s rights is, in effect, destroying its own future. To build a humane future, Iran must move beyond its corrupt and defective existing system and pursue genuine, transparent, child-centred policies. Over the years, the Islamic Republic has shown that it has no regard for children’s rights and has acted only through slogans and displays. It is hoped that in a free Iran without the Islamic Republic, alongside addressing economic issues, special attention will be given to the future of the children of this land, with practical, scientific and legal solutions. Only then can International Children’s Day acquire its true meaning in Iran. Source: https://srouzbeh.com/en/posts/archive-f2bd5beb-efcb-5716-892a-00b751f53549 Please credit the author and link to this edition.