Sociological Cultural Studies

Sociological Cultural Studies

Rural Women's Lived Experience of Early Marriage (A Study in the Villages of the Central District of Farsan County, Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Province)

Document Type : .

Author
OMID BABAEI
Department of Sociology, Faculty of Social Sciences, Payame Noor University, Tehran, Iran
10.30465/scs.2025.51306.2982
Abstract
Introduction
Early marriage is any marriage that takes place before the age of 18, when the girl is not physically or psychologically ready for marriage and childbearing (UNICEF, 2018). Early marriage is widespread in all parts of the world, but statistics show that its rate is lower in Europe, North America, and West Asia (Yann Le Strat, et al., 2011) and higher in South Asia, Africa, and Latin America; with about 31 million marriages under the age of 18 occurring in South Asia, 14 million in Sub-Saharan Africa, and about 6.6 million in Latin America (Nour, 2009). According to a UNICEF report (2020), about 17 percent of marriages in Iran were related to the marriage of girls under the age of 18. Also, in rural areas of Iran, child marriage between the ages of 15 and 19 has increased from 20.87 percent to 27.32 percent and has been on the rise (Azimi, 2020). One of the provinces where a significant amount of early marriages are prevalent, but accurate and official statistics are not available to provide a clear picture of this situation, is Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province. Evidence indicates that this type of marriage is very common in Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province, and especially in the villages of the central part of Farsan county, which is accompanied by harms such as dissatisfaction with married life, low quality of life, failure to attend school, early childbirth, physical and mental illnesses, domestic violence, divorce, suicide, etc. (Social and Cultural Affairs Office of Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Governorate, 2024). In the present study, the researcher seeks to answer the following questions: What is rural women's understanding of child marriage and how do they define it? How and under what circumstances do they decide to marry as children? What feelings do they have at the time of marriage? What are the effects of this marriage on their lives?
Materials & methods
The present study investigates the understanding of rural women's experience of early marriage, using a qualitative method and a phenomenological approach. In this study, the interview tool was used to collect data. The technique used in the interview process is semi-structured interviews. In these interviews, women were mostly asked to express their experiences, attitudes, and feelings about early marriage. Their perception of love, marriage, and marital relationships before and after marriage, how their marriage occurred, their level of choice in marriage, their experience of pregnancy, childbirth, and motherhood at an early age, the impact of early marriage on continuing their education, their presence in society, their social relations, and economic issues, their experience of domestic violence, etc. were among the most important issues raised in the interview questions. The population studied in this study is all women living in the villages of the central part of Farsan County, Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Province, who are under the age of 18 and have been married for an average of 5 to 7 years. The sampling in this study is purposive sampling. The criteria for participants to enter this study are: 1- They should be willing to share their experiences about early marriage. 2- They should be married between the ages of ten and seventeen (they should be child spouses). 3- They should have been married for at least five to seven years. 4- They should be no more than 30 years old. 5- They should be from different socio-economic levels, as this can help to better understand the experiences. In this sampling method, the sample size depends on theoretical saturation. In this study, theoretical saturation was achieved after in-depth interviews with 14 child spouse women, living in the villages of Deh Cheshme, Chobin, and Bidkal, which are located in the central district of Farsan County, Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Province. Two strategies of peer feedback and member control were used to validate the study. In this study, the Colaizi method was used to analyze the data (for more information, see Cresswell, 2015:193).
Discussion & Result
The research findings are categorized into several key themes, each emphasizing specific aspects of this phenomenon: “Early marriage as forced marriage,” “Early marriage as a social value,” “Early marriage as a form of structural violence,” “Early marriage as a strategy,” “Pressure of social roles,” and “Identity challenges.” In fact, these six themes provide a snapshot of the power structures, cultural norms, and socio-economic conditions prevailing in this region, clearly demonstrating that early marriage in this region is not simply an individual event, but rather a complex manifestation of social forces. Research shows that early marriage in this region is often experienced as a forced marriage, rather than a conscious choice. Family, social, and economic pressures force girls to accept a marriage for which they are not psychologically, socially, or even physically prepared. This leads to the perpetuation of early marriage as a social value, because the family and society, instead of supporting women’s right to choose, view this phenomenon as a long-standing tradition and a positive thing. Also, since early marriage weakens women’s abilities and capacities and ignores their rights, it can be considered a form of structural violence. This violence, not only in physical form but also in a form of social suffocation, creates restrictions on women’s rights, including their right to education and mental health. Under the influence of this type of violence, women lose the ability to choose and make decisions and become powerless executors. At the same time, some rural women view early marriage as a strategy to escape poverty or improve their own and their families’ social status. They believe that in conditions of poverty and lack of access to adequate financial resources, families may consider marrying off girls as a way to reduce their economic burden and secure an uncertain future for them. This approach, by assuming that marriage can improve the family’s economic situation, accelerates the process of marriage for girls and places them in a situation where they are forced to accept roles that conflict with their true identity. Since these women are quickly defined as wives and mothers, they do not have the opportunity to identify their individual identity and fulfill their personal aspirations, which can also lead to identity crises, feelings of social exclusion, and reduced self-esteem.
Conclusion
Research shows that early marriage in this region is rooted in gender inequalities, poverty, patriarchal traditions, clan relations, and weak support structures for women. Therefore, to combat this phenomenon and prevent the problems it causes, in addition to public education and awareness-raising, it is essential to improve the economic and social status of women, create equal educational and employment opportunities, and change traditional attitudes about marriage and the role of women in society. Focusing on empowering women, protecting their rights, and creating support networks will play a key role in reducing early marriage and improving the quality of life of these women. Of course, achieving these achievements requires the cooperation and joint support of the government, non-governmental organizations, and the local community to ultimately achieve sustainable and positive changes in this area.
Keywords
Lived Experience
Early Marriage
Phenomenology
Child Marriage
Farsan County
Subjects
احمدی، کامیل (1396)، ضرورت بازنگری و افزایش سن ازدواج کودکان در قوانین ایران، مطالعات حقوق، 2(17)، 251-233.
احمدی، کامیل (1400)، طنین سکوت: پژوهشی جامع درباره ازدواج زودهنگام کودکان در ایران، فصلنامه خانواده درمانی کاربردی، 2(2)، 527-508.
احمدی، وکیل و انیس رضایی (1394)، بررسی پیشرسی ازدواج در استان­های کشور طی سالهای 1385 تا 1390، فصلنامه جمعیت، 22(94-93)، 94-81.
ازکیا، مصطفی (1383)، فقر یکپارچه روستا، اقتصاد کشاورزی و توسعه – ویژه نامه فقر و آسیب پذیری روستایی، 87-133.
افتخار­زاده، سیده زهرا (1394)، تجربه زیسته زنان در ازدواج زودهنگام، پژوهشنامه مددکاری اجتماعی، 2(3)، 108-156.
آستین افشان، پروانه (۱۳۸۰)، بررسی روند تحولات سن ازدواج و عوامل اجتماعی - جمعیتی مؤثر بر آن طی سالهای ۷۵ ‐ ۱۳۵۵، پایان نامه کارشناسی ارشد، تهران: گروه جمعیت شناسی دانشگاه تهران.
پین، مالکوم (1391)، نظریه نوین مددکاری اجتماعی، ترجمه طلعت الهیاری و اکبر بخشی­نیا، تهران: دانژه.
توحیدی اردهالی، فاطمه و الهه حیدرزاده (1390)، تحقیق کیفی با تأکید بر روش گروه کانونی (مجموعه مقالات روشهای کیفی در پژوهش­های اجتماعی تهران): مجمع تشخیص مصلحت نظام، مرکز تحقیقات استراتژیک.
چلبی، مسعود و محمد عبداللهی (1370)، نظام ایلی: ماهیت و مختصات عمده جامعه عشایری ایران، فصل­نامه علوم اجتماعی، (3 و 4)، 247-237.
چنانی، فاطمه، فاطمه رضایی­فرد، فاطمه جلالی، و سارا جهانگیری (1401)، بررسی علل و آسیب­های کودک همسری، مطالعات فرهنگ و هنر، 7(1)، 114-105.
رحیمی نامدار، نگار (1398)، بررسی جامعه­شناختی گرایش به کودک همسری و عوامل مرتبط با آن در بین دانش­آموزان دختر دوره متوسطه دوم ناحیه سه تبریز، پایان نامه کارشناسی ارشد، تبریز: گروه حقوق و علوم اجتماعی دانشگاه تبریز.
رفیع­پور، فرامرز (1383)، عناصر زیربنایی جامعه ایران، نظام ایلی، دولت­ستیزی و ساختار فئودال، پژوهشنامه علوم انسانی، (41)، 52-37.
سالنامه آماری استان چهار محال و بختیاری (1395)، موجود در سایت شبکه روستایی ایران به نشانی https://stat.roostanet.com
سلحشور، عصمت و کرم حبیب پور گتابی (1400)، تحلیل جامعه­شناختی نقش فقر در تجربۀ کودک همسری (مطالعۀ موردی: زنان شهر چابهار)، فصلنامه مسائل اجتماعی ایران، 1(2)، 75-31.
سلحشور، ندا (1399)، بررسی عوامل اجتماعی موثر بر ازدواج زودهنگام (کودک همسری) زنان در شهرستان تالش، پایان نامه کارشناسی ارشد، رشت: گروه علوم اجتماعی موسسه آموزش عالی کوشیار.
علیبازی، هوشنگ، اقبال زارعی، و کوروش محمدی (1401)، تجربه زیسته بانوان از پیامدهای کودک همسری: یک خوانش کیفی، فصلنامه مشاوره و روان درمانی خانواده، 12(2)، 176-147.
غدیری، ماهرو (1395)، سن رضایت به ازدواج از منظر نظام بین المللی حقوق بشر، فصلنامه خانواده پژوهشی، 12(45)، 138-116.
کاظمی­پور، شهلا (1388)، سنجش نگرش جوانان نسبت به ازدواج و شناخت آثار و پیامدهای آن با تاکید بر ازدواج­های دانشجویی، فرهنگ در دانشگاه اسلامی، 13(2)، 95-75.
کرسول، جان (1394)، پویش کیفی و طرح پژوهش (انتخاب از میان پنج رویکرد)، ترجمه حسن دانایی فرد و حسین کاظمی، تهران: انتشارات صفار.
کمالی، افسانه، خدیجه سفیری، و عهدیه اسدپور (1400)، استراتژی­های کودک همسران در مواجهه با مسائل زندگی زناشویی، فصلنامه زن و جامعه، 13(2)، 195-169.
کیوی، ریمون و لوک وان کامپنهود (1386)، روش تحقیق در علوم اجتماعی، ترجمه عبدالحسین نیک­گهر، تهران: انتشارات توتیا.
گال، مردیت، والتر بورگ، و جویس گال (1394)، روشهای تحقیق کمی و کیفی در علوم تربیتی و روانشناسی، ترجمه احمد رضا نصر و همکاران، تهران: انتشارات سمت.
محمدپور، احمد (1398)، روش در روش، درباره ساخت معرفت در علوم انسانی، تهران: انتشارات لوگوس.
محمدی، بیوک (1391)، مردم­نگاری معنا­شناختی از الگوی فرهنگی آبرو (معانی، مصادیق و کارکردها)، مجله انسان­شناسی، 10(17)، 162-132.
محمدی، بیوک (1392)، بررسی الگوی رابطه صمیمانه همسران، پژوهش­نامه زنان، پژوهشگاه علوم انسانی و مطالعات فرهنگی، 4(1)، 187-163.
محمودیان، حسین (1383)، سن ازدواج در حال افزایش: بررسی عوامل پشتیبان، نامه علوم اجتماعی، 11(4)، 27-54.
مجدی، علی اکبر، مهدی کرمانی، زهرا برادران کاشانی، و فاطمه خدمتی بقمچ (1402)، تجربۀ زیستۀ زنان از پدیدة ازدواج زودهنگام: یک بررسی کیفی، فصلنامه خانواده پژوهی، 19(74)، 215-197.
Azimi, K. (2020), The trend of girl child marriage in Iran based on national census data. Sexual and reproductive health matters, 28(1), 1820655.
Groot, R. D., kuunyem, M. Y., & Palermo, T. M. (2018), Child marriage and associated outcomes in Northern Ghana: A cross-sectional study. BMC Public Health,18, 1-12.
Nour, N. M. (2009), Child marriage: a silent health and human rights issue. Reviews in Obstetrics and Gynecology, 2(1), 51.
Paul, P. (2020), Child marriage among girls in India: Prevalence, trends and socio-economic correlates. Indian Journal of Human Development, 14(2), 304-319.
Segal- Engelchin, D., Huss, E., & Massry, N. (2015), The experience of early marriage: Perspectives of engaged and married Muslim women in Israel. Journal of Adolescent Research, 31(6), 725-749.
Susilo, S., Istiawati, N. F., Aliman, M., & Alghani, M. Z. (2021), Investigation of early marriage: A phenomenology study in the Society of Bawean Island, Indonesia. Journal of Population and Social Studies [JPSS], 29, 544-562.
UNICEF (2018), Child marriage is a violation of human rights, but is all too common. [UNICEF data: Monitoring the situation of children and women].
Yann Le Strat, M. D., Dubertret, C., & Bernard Le Foll, M. D. (2011), Child marriage in the United States and its association with mental health in women. Pediatrics, 128(3), 524-530.
Sociological Cultural Studies
Volume 17, Issue 3 - Serial Number 61
Autumn 2026
Autumn 2026
Pages 87-120

  • Receive Date 24 February 2025
  • Revise Date 02 June 2025
  • Accept Date 02 June 2025
  • Publish Date 22 November 2026