age and consent to marriage in the light of international human rights law

Marriage is the starting point of founding a family in most societies, especially in traditional ones. This right has been mentioned in the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, which is indicative of the indivisibility and inseparability of all human rights. One of the most important subjects in the formation of a marriage is that of marital age and conesnt to marriage, which is an international concern and international human rights law has addressed it. Early marriage and any marriage performed without valid consent, have a negative impact on the individual, the family, and society. These pose an especially serious threat to the physical and psychological health of girls who are not physically mature enough as it "increases the risk of unintended pregnancy, maternal and newborn mortality and sexually transmitted infections. "This paper analyses the human rights dimensions of child marriage in detail with a look at the Iranian legal system’s approach to the issue.