“No Divorce Day” In Iran
Iran is a country known for commitment to strict religious laws has imposed a national day to reinforce marriage values. The country had previously had a national day called “Marriage Day.” But due to the growing concerns of Westernization the country has changed the name of the day to “No Divorce Day.”
According to an article in the New York Times the justice minister has decreed that there will be no divorce permits issued on this day.
The reason a No Divorce Day may seem necessary to officials in Iran is pretty clear though. In 2000, the number of divorces was around 50,000. Only 10 years later, in 2010, divorces have tripled to 150,000. In Tehran, the divorce rate is now up to 1 divorce for every 3.76 marriages.
Most surveys put these figures lower than those in America, but the rate of increase would be alarming to anyone. The rate of divorce will undoubtedly seem even more inflated because the rate of marriage has decreased.
An anonymous attorney from Iran interviewed for the article said that, “In May, a registry office I work with recorded 70 divorces and only three marriages… The next month, a friends at another office said he recorded 60 divorces and only one marriage.”
Many of the government officials in Iran have blamed the young generation and its lack of devotion to marriage for the gloomy marital figures.
Gholamreza Asdollahi, a member of the Iranian Parliament was quoted saying that, “High dowries, high living costs, lack of jobs and financial support make young people fear marriage” and that the young people who have lost their belief, “in the unseen power of God to solve life’s problems.”
Experts in the Iranian culture seem to disagree and instead point to the increasing power women have.
Azardokht Mofidi, a psychiatrist and author believes that, “women have found the courage to break with tradition and say no to the past… [T]hey are no longer prepared to put up with the hardships in marriage, and their expectations have risen to include equality in relationships.”
This all seems to make sense. If women in Iran now feel empowered enough to demand that they are treated fairly, they will also be able to refuse the social pressure to marry until they find what they want.
When viewed in this light, we can see that these negative statistics may not be as gloomy as they appear. Yes, it does appear that marriage are failing at a greater number and occurring less frequently, but if the result of this is a growth of power to the traditionally oppressed women of Iran, it seems much better.
Time will show us whether or not this is the start of major power movement for women in Iran, but at least on the outset, the prospects are looking positive.
