Iranian Marital Traditions and Women's Rights in Australia: Unpacking the Tension Between Culture and Human Rights Law

Australia is failing to protect the right of Australian women of Iranian descent to enter into marriage with free and full consent. Interviews with Iranian women living in Australia reveal the extent to which traditional and cultural pressures to marry arguably violate human rights law. This research aims investigates the relationship between human rights and the rules and traditions pertaining to Iranian marital customs. Using a qualitative methodology, this research examines how cultural and religious expectations surrounding marriage erode Iranian women’s right to consent in a free and full manner. In approaching this issue, this research will be concentrating on the views surrounding marriage, and in particular, how traditional Iranian marital customs and religious practices impact on contemporary understandings of marriage and ultimately intersect with international human rights norms, in particular, women’s rights.