Transnationality of Child Poverty: the Case of Iranian and Afghan Street Children in Tehran
Abstract
Half of Iran’s street children live in the country’s capital, Tehran. Street children spend the day and part of the night in the streets and engage in informal economic activities. They experience abuse, violence and psychological distress in public spaces. The street child issue in Iran is a transnational issue; according to official reports, up to half of street children are Afghans refugees’ and migrants’ children whose exposure to economic and cultural hardship and stereotyping is related to child poverty. This study provides a review of literature on street children’s demographics and situation in Tehran, and the relation between child poverty and Afghan inhabitants’ social and economic situation. I suggest that local approaches to resolve the street child issue have failed because child poverty in Iran is a transnational problem.
Â
References
• Afshani, A.; Asgari, A.; Heydari, M.; Noorian, M. (2012) An Analysis of the Condition of Streen and Labour Children in Isfahan, Iranian Journal of Applied Sociology, 23-48(4): 85-102. [in Farsi]
• Ahmadkhani, H.; Torkman Nejad, S.; Hoseini Moghadam, M. (2002) Epidemiology of Depression and Sexual Abuse among Street Children, Iranian Journal of Psychiatry and Clinical Psychology, 8(1): 4-20. [in Farsi]
• Aljazeera (2016) A Secret School for Afghans in Iran, retrieved from: http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/07/secret-school-afghans-iran-160720121238213.html
• Ardalan, A.; Naiini, K.; Tabrizi, A.; Jazayeri, A. (2002) Sex for Survival: Consequence of Runaway Girls, Iranian Journal of Social Welfare, 2(5): 187-220.
• Davarpanah, S.; Raghfar, H.; Nakhaii, M. (2010) Children’ Poverty and Labour Market in Iran, Iranian Journal of Social Welfare Quarterly, 9(35): 139-159. [in Farsi]
• Farsnews (2016) 3.5 Million Afghans in Iran Are Opportunities not Threats[in Farsi], retrieved 8 July 2016, from: http://af.farsnews.com/politics/news/13941215000195
• Ghahfarkhi, S.; Roshanfekr, P.; Maddah, H. (2010) Some Characteristics of Adult and Child Prostitutes in Tehran, Iranian Journal of Social Problems, 1(3): 103-122. [in Farsi]
• Ghasemzade, F. (2003) Street Children in Tehran, Iranian Journal of Social Welfare Quarterly, 2(7): 249-267. [in Farsi]
• Habibi, N. (2008)The Iranian Economy in the Shadow of Economic Sanctions, Middle East Brief[in Farsi], 31: 1-8, ; retrieved 6 July 2016, from: http://www.brandeis.edu/crown/publications/meb/MEB31.pdf
• Hoseini, H. (2005) The Condition of Street and Labour Children in Iran (in Farsi), Iranian Journal of Social Welfare Quarterly, 5(19): 155-173. [in Farsi]
• Imani, N.; Nercissians, E. (2012). An Anthropological Study of Street Children Phenomenon in Karaj City, Iranian Journal of Social Problems of Iran, 3(1): 7-32. [in Farsi]
• Isna (2014). Statistics on Street Children [in Farsi]. Retrieved 8 July 2016, from: www.isna.ir/news/93062515224/
• Jamalpour, F. (2014) 17 Percent of Street Children Have Used Alcohol[in Farsi], retrieved 5 July 2016, from: http://www.sharghdaily.ir/News/51959/
• Jamnews (2014) Average Income of Street Children[in Farsi], retrieved 6 July 2016, from: http://www.jamnews.ir/detail/News/431128
• Koepke, B. (2011) The Situation of Afghans in the Islamic Republic of Iran Nine Years after the Overthrow of the Taliban Regime in Afghanistan, Middle East Institute, Foundation pour la Recherche Strategique, http://www.refugeecooperation.org/publications/afghanistan/pdf/03_koepke.pdf
• Landinfo (2012) Afghan Citizens in Iran, Report by Country of Origin Information Centre, Norway, Retrieved 3 July 2016, from: http://www.landinfo.no/asset/2063/1/2063_1.pdf
• Library of Congress (LOC) (n.d.) Children’s Rights: Iran, Retrieved 8 August 2016, from: https://www.loc.gov/law/help/child-rights/iran.php#_ftn1
• Mardomsalari (2014) Growing Population of Street and Labour Children[in Farsi], retrieved 5 July 2016, from: http://mardomsalari.com/Template1/News.aspx?NID=207583
• Moradi, A.; Sajadi, H.; Mohagheghi, H.; Vameghi, M.; Hoseini, S.; Ghaed, Gh. (2015) Social Health of Child Labourers in Non-Profit Centers for Promoting Children’s Rights in Tehran in 2014, Iranian Journal of Rafsanjan Medical University, 14: 977-988. [in Farsi]
• Rishe (2015) Increase in HIV in Iran [in Farsi], from: retrieved 4 July 2016, http://rishe.ir/news/11783
• Roudsari, R. L.; Javadnouri, M.; Hasanpour, M.; Hazavehei, M. M.; Taghipour, A. (2013) Socio-cultural Challenges to Sexual Health Education for Female Adolescents in Iran, Iranian Journal of Reproductive Medicine, 11(2): 101–110.
• Sarzaminnews (2012; retreived 8 July 2016) Ten Percent of Tehran’s Population are Afghans [in Farsi], from: http://www.sarzaminnews.com/view-2430.html
• Seyed Joudaki, A. (2016). Street and Labour Children: The society for Defending of Street and Labour Children in Tehran[in Farsi], retrievd 4 July 2016, from: http://anthropology.ir/node/26425
• Shahabadi, A.; Meimandi, M.; Akbari, S. (2009) Unorganized Families’ Role in the Phenomenon of Child Labour: A Case Study in Yazd, Quarterly Entezam-e Ejtemaei, 1(3): 29-52. [in Farsi]
• Shahraki, M.; Ghaderi, S. (2015) Decision to Work or Study among Child Labourers in Iran, Quarterly Journal of Quantitative Economics, 9(4): 67-89. [in Farsi]
• Soleimani, M,; Hajiani, E. (2014) Favourable Management Model to Organize Street Children: Case Study in Tehran, Iranian Journal of Cultural Management, 7(22): 53-69. [in Farsi]
• Tabnak (2010). Statistics of Afghan Refugees in Iran[in Farsi], retrieved 6 July 2016, from: www.tabnak.ir/fa/news/133751/
• Tasnim (2016). Afghan Refugees without Residence Documents Can Study in Iran’s Schools: Official[in Farsi], retrieved 6 July 2016, from: http://www.tasnimnews.com/en/news/2016/07/20/1135826/afghan-refugees-without-residence-documents-can-study-in-iran-s-schools-official
• UNESCO (n.d.). Street Children[in Farsi]. Retrieved 4 July 2016, from: http://www.unesco.org/new/en/social-and-human-sciences/themes/fight-against-discrimination/education-of-children-in-need/street-children/
• Youg Journalists’ Club (2013) 70 Percent of Street Children are Foreign Citizens/Cancelling Residence Cards of Foreign Residents[in Farsi]; retrieved 6 July 2016, from: www.yjc.ir/fa/news/4331919/
• Vafa, O. (2006) Refugees in Iran and International Security, annual meeting of the International Studies Association, Town & Country Resort and Convention Center, San Diego, California, USA retrieved 1 August 2016, from: http://citation.allacademic.com/meta/p_mla_apa_research_citation/0/9/8/4/2/p98424_index.html
• Vameghi, M. (2006) Iranian street Children and State Approaches, Iranian Journal of Social Welfare Quarterly, 5(19): 175-203. [in Farsi]
• Vameghi, M.; Rafii, H.; Sajadi, H.; Rashidian, A. (2011) A Systematic Review of Studies on Street Children in Iran in the Past Decade, Iranian Journal of Social Problems of Iran, 2(1): 135-166. [in Farsi]
• Zand, S.; Rahimi, Rahim, N. (2011) Comparison Between Iranian and Afghan Child Labourers in Kerman, Based on Four Priciples of Convention on the Rights of the Child, Iranian Journal of Social Studies, 5(1): 1-24. [in Farsi]
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
- Papers must be submitted on the understanding that they have not been published elsewhere (except in the form of an abstract or as part of a published lecture, review, or thesis) and are not currently under consideration by another journal published by any other publisher.
- It is also the authors responsibility to ensure that the articles emanating from a particular source are submitted with the necessary approval.
- The authors warrant that the paper is original and that he/she is the author of the paper, except for material that is clearly identified as to its original source, with permission notices from the copyright owners where required.
- The authors ensure that all the references carefully and they are accurate in the text as well as in the list of references (and vice versa).
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).
- The journal/publisher is not responsible for subsequent uses of the work. It is the author's responsibility to bring an infringement action if so desired by the author.
