On the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, Karun Human Rights Organization expresses deep concern about the spread of gender-based violence in the Ahwaz region. Documentation collected by the organization shows that women and girls in Ahwaz face an intertwined set of violent practices, arising from a combination of gender, ethnic, and linguistic discrimination, structural poverty, and security pressures. In many cases, this violence goes beyond individual acts and has become structural and institutionalized.

Gender-Based Violence in a Repressive Context

Violence against women in Ahwaz occurs within a context where protective laws are absent, judicial institutions are ineffective, civil activism is suppressed, and restrictive social norms dominate, all of which severely limit victims’ ability to report abuses or access justice.

Security-Related Harassment and Political Pressure

In recent years, Arab Ahwazi women in cultural, media, and social activism have faced arbitrary arrests, threats, restrictions, and severe security pressures. Credible reports indicate that during these detentions, women have sometimes been subjected to sexist intimidation and coercion, aimed at instilling fear and silencing them. The lack of independent legal representation, opaque judicial processes, and absence of oversight mechanisms exacerbate these abuses and reduce legal recourse.

Sexual Harassment and Lack of Safe Reporting Mechanisms

Sexual harassment is among the most severe forms of violence against women in Ahwaz. Documentation shows women experience harassment in informal workplaces, public spaces, low-income neighborhoods, and educational settings. Fear of social stigma, lack of trust in law enforcement, and the absence of safe and impartial reporting channels have kept much of this violence hidden.

Security-related detentions have also involved verbal abuse, threats, or sexualized psychological pressure, clearly violating principles of fair trial and fundamental human rights.

Honor Killings: Lethal Violence Against Women

Honor killings represent one of the most extreme forms of violence. In some cases, Iranian laws reduce or eliminate punishment for perpetrators, effectively encouraging these crimes. Women and girls who defy family pressures or social norms face threats of lethal violence. Reports indicate that within the last three months alone, two teenage girls in Falahiyeh (Shadegan) were killed by family members.

Child Marriage: Targeting the Future of Girls

Child marriage remains a deeply entrenched form of violence against girls in Ahwaz. Economic pressures, school dropout, lack of legal protection, and persistent traditional norms leave underage girls at risk of forced marriages. Such marriages often result in domestic abuse, unsafe pregnancies, deprivation of education, economic dependence, and limited social opportunities. Field reports confirm that child marriages continue in some areas due to insufficient oversight and weak protective laws.

Structural Discrimination in Education, Health, and Economy

Arab Ahwazi women face not only direct violence but also structural discrimination:

• Limited access to education and university opportunities
• High female unemployment
• Lack of specialized services for victims of violence
• Shortage of counseling and mental health centers
• Exposure to industrial pollutants in Arab-majority areas

These factors create conditions where domestic, economic, and social violence persist, placing future generations in a continuous cycle of harm.

Legal and Institutional Failures

Although Iran is a member of international conventions and treaties, many domestic laws recognize or even support forms of violence against women, including child marriage, honor killings, legal restrictions on women, and insufficient protections for sexual violence victims. The Iranian government is legally obligated to protect women and ensure legal avenues for justice. However, current laws:

• Permit child marriage under certain conditions
• Lack adequate definitions of sexual abuse
• Provide no safe and impartial reporting mechanisms
• Fail to ensure transparent and fair judicial processes for detained women
• Sometimes involve security institutions as perpetrators of violence

This situation violates fundamental women’s rights and contradicts international standards.

Karun Human Rights Organization Urges Immediate Actions:

1. Ban child marriage completely and set 18 years as the minimum legal age for marriage.
2. Establish independent and safe mechanisms for reporting sexual harassment and supporting victims.
3. Conduct impartial investigations into gendered threats and harassment in detention centers.
4. End the detention and pressure on female activists in Ahwaz.
5. Ensure female prisoners have access to medical care, independent lawyers, and regular family contact.
6. Eliminate structural discrimination in education, employment, and health for Arab Ahwazi women.
7. Allocate resources to empower, raise awareness, and provide social support for women.

Karun HR emphasizes that violence against women and girls in Ahwaz—from child marriage and sexual harassment to security repression and structural discrimination—reflects an entrenched system that deprives women of dignity, safety, and equal opportunities.