Following a gathering of more than 100,000 in Paris on October 17, 1987, to remember the victims of violence, extreme poverty, and hunger, in 1992 the day was officially recognized as the ‘International Day for the Eradication of Poverty’ by the United Nations.
Around the world, this day is used to ensure that countries are doing all they can to help their citizens who are in need, all the while Iran continues to suffer greatly from rising inflation and extreme levels of poverty, with Iranian women facing the worst of the crises.
Even though the information and statistics that have been collected, do not tell the whole story, but since it is entirely extracted from the comments of government officials, experts, and the regime’s own media, it can show the immense human tragedy being unfolded in Iran.
Barely a few months after the formation of President Ebrahim Raisi’s administration, the levels of inflation in Iran have continued to skyrocket. The prices of items for people’s daily needs have seen a 10 to 50 percent increase while the general cost of living in Iran has gone up 32%.
Many Iranians are living in extreme poverty and are in dire need of necessities, such as food, shelter, clothing, and medical care. Along with the economic crisis, the Covid-19 pandemic and other social issues have severely diminished the quality of life for many people, and the situation is getting worse day by day.
The pandemic has led to many people losing their jobs and much-needed incomes. Businesses have been pushed to the brink of bankruptcy while trying to stay afloat. Added to the rising inflation and skyrocketing prices, many families are struggling to cope, and have resorted to extreme measures to bring in much-needed cash.
The rising poverty line and rampant inflation in Iran are among the main causes of the phenomenon known as child marriages.
Due to the levels of poverty faced by Iranian families, many parents have seen no other option to marry their daughters at young ages in order to earn what little money they can from the dowry.
Discussing the rise of the poverty line in Iran, Mohammad Reza Mahboubfar said, “If the poverty line of a family of four in the country at the beginning of this year was estimated to be 12 million Tomans per month, today this line has reached 14 million Tomans per month.”
According to a report from the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare, the number of people who were living below the poverty line last year reached 36 million. This number has since doubled according to Roozbeh Kordoni, the head of the Higher Institute for Social Security Research.
The continuation of the mullahs’ rule will lead to a more bleak and dire situation for women in Iran. To survive, women will be compelled to gather the garbage, work as human mules, sell their organs, prostitute themselves and sell their infants amongst all kinds of other calamities.
