Iran's Women and Family Affairs Vice President criticizes dowry law

The Vice President for Women and Family Affairs in Iran has expressed significant concerns regarding recent legislative amendments to the Civil Code and the law on the execution of financial convictions, specifically concerning dowry (mahr) payments.

Zahra Behrouzazar criticized the inclusion of a specific number of gold coins as a legal benchmark for dowry, stating that this figure lacks an expert or technical basis. She argued that if the criteria for dowry should be based on a man's financial capacity, the law should allow for flexibility rather than imposing a fixed amount.

Furthermore, officials noted that the government aims to avoid increasing the prison population related to dowry debts. They emphasized that the goal of the legislation should be to support the family unit and align with the general policies of the system, rather than being gender-biased or increasing the costs associated with incarceration.