IRAN. Khuzestan. 2018. Mahnaz Gheybpour, 41 years old, has 6 children. Her husband is Farshid Amani, 44 years old. They move between Khuzestan and Chaharmahal and Bakhtiary Province but it has been 10 years that they live in a house, one is in Darreh-Geli and the other that they are moving to is in Kouhrang and they are not living in a tent anymore. They just pack the pillows and clothes and take the flock and leave the other stuff in their house. Their neighbors will check on their house in the time they are away. “My 17 years old daughter says that I don’t want to get married. She wants to go to the university. Her father is fine with her decision and he would let her study and stay single. For me it was totally different, My father used to hit me and stopped me from going to school. He believed that girls shouldn’t study and that’s a shame. I won’t let my daughters to marry a nomad. The nomadic life is horrible and I want them to live in a city. As an example, my mother is really sick and she is suffering from diabetes. I won’t see her for 6 months and I don’t even have a phone to call her and check on her. My daughter telling me all the time that why should I get married and make my life so miserable like yours. Divorce is becoming a common thing mostly because of the men’s bad behaviors and addictions. I went to my father’s house last year and stayed there for a few months until my husband quitted smoking Opium. Now he is much better and I can stand his attitude.

I got married when I was 16. I believe that I was a child back then. Few weeks ago, I was in a wedding ceremony and the bride was almost 12 years old. I asked the others what would they do to her afterward? They all answered the same thing that happened to you in your wedding night.

Non of my children got married. 2 of them are university students and Ali, 21 years old is the only one who wants to get married and he hurts himself to make us accept that.