Iran is one of the Middle East’s most politically important countries and its central government has transformed significantly over the past century. Once a monarchy, Iran became an Islamic republic in 1979, but its elected presidents ultimately ceded authority to the Rahbar, a theocratic Supreme Leader.

Iran’s authoritarian government and association with terrorist groups have often forced U.S. sanctions. Its high-profile human rights abuses have similarly attracted criticism, with the prostitution and trafficking industries particularly on the rise. Prostitution is technically illegal in Iran, but a failing economy and government inaction have allowed it to proliferate. In 2023, the U.S. World Trafficking in Persons Report ranked Iran as a Tier 3 country, signaling a lack of anti-trafficking initiatives. Prostitution rings often target young girls aged 13 to 17, selling them into service in neighboring countries like Afghanistan and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Here’s what to know about child prostitution in Iran:

Poverty Encourages Child Prostitution in Iran

As U.S. sanctions continue to hinder Iran’s economic growth, the nation’s population of roughly 88 million grapples with inflation and unemployment. In September 2023, the Iranian Statistics Center reported the country’s Misery Index at 60.4%, a record high. The Misery Index is a combined assessment of inflation and unemployment rates, aiming to understand Iran’s economic outlook individually.

According to the World Bank, by November 2023, more than 10 million Iranians had fallen victim to poverty. To better their families’ circumstances, many children are forced to work because of loopholes in Iran’s child labor laws. About 15% of Iranian children participate in the labor force and many live on the streets in the country’s urban centers, vulnerable to predation from prostitution rings. Some families even rent their children to criminal organizations, which then make the children beg for money. If children fall short of their quotas, they are often moved into commercial sex work.

Iran’s Temporary Marriage System

Sexual affairs outside of marriage are illegal in Iran, punishable by 100 lashes. However, the Iranian government recognizes so-called “temporary” marriages, allowing couples to legally participate in sex without the formality of a lifelong union. A temporary marriage or sigheh, as it’s called in the country –allows a man to marry a woman for a predetermined period, ranging from an hour to several months or even years. By design, these arrangements absolve men of any financial responsibility to their partners, functioning instead as legalized casual sex. Though some advocates for sigheh cite its religious antecedents, many of its critics point to its potential for sexual exploitation. According to Iranian law, girls as young as 13 can enter into sigheh, providing a legal avenue for child prostitution in Iran.

Afghan Refugees Are Especially Vulnerable

In August 2021, despite a U.S.-led invasion that had forced its ousting 20 years prior, the Taliban regained power in Afghanistan. The Taliban is an Islamic fundamentalist group, often curtailing human rights in observance of an extremist doctrine. As a result, more than 750,000 Afghans have sought refuge in Iran, hoping for economic opportunity and relief for families back home. However, according to the U.S.’s 2023 World Trafficking in Persons Report, many immigrating Afghans have trouble obtaining documentation and their children are especially vulnerable to forced marriage and sex trafficking.

Government Officials Fail To Address Child Prostitution

As evidenced in the U.S.’s 2023 World Trafficking in Persons Report, Iran has failed to protect its most vulnerable populations, with some government officials even complicit in the sex trade. For instance, despite the recent influx of Afghan refugees, the Iranian government often neglects to screen immigrants for indications of sex trafficking, even denying foreign trafficking victims access to government welfare services. Reportedly, the Iranian police and IRGC, a branch of the Iranian armed forces, even collaborate with sex traffickers based in Dubai, discouraging the Iranian government from investigating and apprehending major traffickers. As a result, victims, adults and children alike endure the most significant penalties, including lashings, public shaming and imprisonment.

Looking Ahead

Subject to widespread poverty, temporary marriages and poor governmental oversight, Iranian children often fall victim to prostitution and are recruited into crime rings that prey on the disadvantaged.

Despite the Iranian government’s half-hearted response, the international community remains committed to investigating child prostitution in Iran. For instance, the U.S. State Department publishes yearly reports on global human trafficking, specifically detailing its prevalence in Iran. These reports include thorough recommendations for curtailing trafficking’s spread, such as: providing protection services to trafficking victims, proactively identifying potential trafficking victims, especially children and adhering to the U.N. TIP protocol, an international standard meant to impede human trafficking. Similarly, on the domestic front, a feminist movement has challenged Iran’s compulsory hijab laws, criticizing the fundamentalist morality that informs many Iranian institutions, including the sigheh.

– Sydney Verdi
Photo: Flickr