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| © UNICEF/HQ95-0154/Shankar | |
| INDIA: A child bride attends the celebrations leading up to her wedding in the Rajgarh District of Madhya Pradesh State. |
Recently, two young girls made a very big stir in Yemen. Nujood, who is ten, and Arwa, nine, gained national attention when they very publicly left their husbands. Yes, you read correctly—they left their husbands. Both girls were married to much older men—marriages arranged by their families.
In Yemen—and a shocking number of other countries around the world—child marriage remains a widely accepted practice, especially in very poor and rural areas. There are a bunch of reasons parents may choose to marry off their daughters when they are quite young. Struggling, hungry families may decide they'd be better off with one fewer mouth to feed. Parents may think an early marriage will protect their daughters from random sexual assault. Or they may see these marriages as a way to ensure their daughters won't become pregnant out of wedlock.
One thing is certain—for so many young girls, child marriage crushes their ability to create their own future. Young married girls usually stop attending school. They often become isolated from their family and friends, with playtime replaced by household chores. Girls married at a young age also face serious health risks from pregnancy and childbirth—a girl under age 16 is five times more likely to die in pregnancy or childbirth than a woman between the ages of 20 to 24.
UNICEF wants to see an end to early marriage, which robs girls of their childhoods. We're working with government officials to change laws, and with communities to change cultures. We support programs, like this one in Bangladesh, that help empower teenage girls, give them leadership and life skills, and provide them with a supportive environment so they can make their own choices.
In Yemen specifically, UNICEF recently sponsored a workshop—with Members of Parliament, the Sharia Committee, doctors and human rights activists—to look at changing Yemen's laws in order to better protect children. UNICEF's Naseem Ur-Rehman said there are many cases like Nujood's that go unnoticed. “We want to end the silent suffering,” he told the attendees.
The workshop concluded that the minimum marriage age in Yemen should be 18, and the sponsors of both brides and grooms should be punished if they allow them to marry under this age. But turning that conclusion into national law will be a challenge, and UNICEF intends to keep pushing on this issue.
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| © UNICEF/HQ06-0292/Heavens |
| ETHIOPIA: A girl, age 13, holds up a medical certificate that indicates she is HIV-negative. The certificate helped her receive an annulment for an arranged marriage to an older man who was HIV-positive. |
Here in the United States, we'd also like to see Congress pass bipartisan legislation that would bolster U.S. efforts to prevent child marriage. Want to help? You can, by contacting your Members of Congress to let them know you want them to cosponsor and support this legislation.
I'm awed by the courage of Nujood and Arwa in Yemen (imagine being divorced at age ten). And now, thanks to them, there's a movement in Yemen to get rid of child marriage. “This is the first shout,” said human rights lawyer, Shada Nasser. Let's all work to help turn that one shout into a worldwide holler.
Comments (1)
It takes very strong people to change the world...people like Nujood and Arwa...and they will succeed. They have already started the groundswell involving UNICEF, members of parliament, the Sharia committee, doctors and human rights activists. My heart goes out to them and I congratulate them for their courage.
Where are the men? All it will take is one or two or three of them to refuse to marry these underage 'children'. Yep, sadly, we will never hear their voices shout out in outrage or revulsion or apology. This is a sad commentary on the men of the world....not just Asia or Africa or farflung impoverished countries of the world. Men will never refuse what is offered to them on a proverbial platter. The ever increasing volume of child pornography being created, trafficked and lusted over only goes to show that Nujood and Arwa have a tough row to hoe.
Even before these laws are enacted, IMHO, I think these immoral marriages should be publicized where everyone can see and voice their feelings to others. Let these two brave young girls know we are supporting their efforts.
Posted by kfccanada | July 24, 2008 8:20 PM
Posted on July 24, 2008 20:20