Nojoud is an 8-year-old Yemeni girl. A few months ago, her father married her off to a man more than three times her age. It's not unusual in Yemen, the Middle East country most prone to enabling child marriage: Nearly half of girls younger than 18 are married in Yemen, one of the poorest countries on the planet. The rate is just as high among Palestinian girls, according to the International Center for Research on Women. (The rate is 10 percent in the United States, 77 percent in Niger, 68 percent in Bangladesh, and 50 percent in India).
What routinely follows these marriages is physical and sexual abuse, and what's too euphemistically known as maternal mortality--the death of the mother while giving birth. Girls between 10 and 14 are five times more likely than women ages 20 to 24 to die in pregnancy and childbirth, and twice as likely as older women to die from childbirth and pregnancy between 15 and 19. Nobody protests against early marriage, an ICRW report quotes a Nepalese girl as saying, "because all take daughters as a burden. They fear that their daughters might get involved with other boys and that is why they want their daughters to get married at an early age."
Taking a Stand Against Child Rape
Nojoud did protest. She ran away. She sought help from her uncle and a lawyer, and on April 15, an almost incredulous judge granted her a divorce. "This was the first time a girl came to us for a divorce," Judge Abud Al-Khaleaq Ghowber told the Yemen Times. "We are going to do our best to push the parliament to change the marriage law." But it wasn't as simple as filing for divorce and arguing the case in court. Nojoud had to buy her way back to freedom, which underscores the slavish underside of child marriages. An anonymous donor from the United Arab Emirates put up the money: 100,000 Yemeni Rials, which works out to $500,000. Half a million dollars to secure a child's freedom from bondage and rape, which underscores another horror: what do girls do when they have no uncle, no lawyer, no rich Emirati to run to?
They endure.
"I hated nights," Nojoud told the newspaper, "because they usually meant that my husband would come to my bed. I used to run from him and he would chase me and beat me and do his thing. I pray that my younger sisters do not face the same fate."
The West Isn't Innocent
The scene might seem entirely alien to Western eyes and ears. But let's not fool ourselves into hiding behind the comforts of stereotype. Nojoud's heartbreaking words reminded me of a passage in one of those quintessential American works, Erskine Caldwell's Tobacco Road--you know, the 1932 novel about wretchedly poor sharecroppers, and whose stage version was taken to court 36 times and banned in countless cities across the country on grounds of immorality (not inaccuracy).
The scene takes place early in the novel: "What Lov wanted to speak to Jeeter about now in particular was the way Pearl had of refusing to sleep with him." Jeter is Lov's father-in-law. Pearl is 12.
They had been married almost a year, and still she slept by herself, as she had done since the first. She slept by herself on a pallet on the floor, refusing even to let Lov kiss her or touch her in any way. [...] For the past few weeks Lov had been thinking about taking some plow-lines and tying Pearl in bed at night. He had tried everything that he could think of so far, except force, and he was still determined to make her act as he thought a wife should. [...] "Every time I want to have her around me, she runs off and won't come back when I call her. Now, what I say is, what in hell is the sense in me marrying a wife if I don't get none of the benefits."Child marriage in the United States is officially illegal, but not always effectively so, although sensational exceptions to the law tend to divert attention from the more serious, prevalent problem: the sexual abuse of young boys and girls under their own roof, by the people they trust most--parents, siblings, relatives, neighbors, friends.
I note this, along with the Caldwell example, because it would be too convenient to take in the case of Nojoud and child rape (a more accurate term than child marriage) in Yemen or Bangladesh or India as something the more enlightened West has graduated from, when in reality the crime merely occurs in different, less public, less codified circumstances.
Comments
“100,000 Yemeni Rials, which works out to $500,000.”
Nope, more like $500.
“100,000 Yemeni Rials, which works out to $500,000.”
Nope, more like $500.
QFT hehe yeah the half million US dollar blew me away and the 8 year old marriage being allowed srsly this rlly pisses me off not only does the part were a Stupid piece of **** father would sell his daughter by force marraige to a guy when she is only EIGHT???? did i forget to mention she was EIGHT?? and what kind of sick minded freak would want to marry an Eight year old… what is going on in the world, if the man is 3x her age 8×3=24~ he should have some kind of brain to realize how dumb he is for even considering marrying an eight years old.. sorry for the wall of text just had to release my anger w/o grammar checking for once, also im from yemen and that pisses me off
To be honest with all of ya… this kind of story might happen with families that are dying and just want to give their daughter away because of hunger and fear that they might die… they stupidly feel by given her a way she will have someone to save her… but other then that almost 95% if not 98% off yemeni don’t do this.. Or even allow this thing to happen.
A Yemeni man asked me to marry him when I was a child and I said no and later he married another little girl younger than me. I was so grossed out by this old man. I was barely 12 and he was 50. (38 YEARS OLDER THAN ME) WHAT????? Pedo punk. His brother who was 61 at that time married a little girl aged 13. Pedophilia is everywhere there. My dad grabbed his AK47 and was like “Get the hell out of my house” before he could even finish the proposal. Made the old coon run for his life. We thought he was visiting to just eat with my dad and brothers. We were informed later that he had 1 wife close to his age and 2 other wives which were both under 12 (1st wife unaware of the 2 child brides) If it was halal, why keep a secret? If fearing 1st wife would leave him, she should have. Nasty Freak! GARBAGE.
and even that 500 dollars is likely a serious exaggeration, in that blackmarket rates are likely even better for such a basketcase nation.
Besides, girls are sold into “marriage” for 20 us dollars. To ask 25 times the going price for little girls.. quite an outrage!
Poor families marrying of their daughters to husbands that work and Who can provide better living conditions. Who am I fooling… This is farked up wrong! Shes only 8
Well Since i came to know about the child marriage in Yemen, I am really surprised wots going on in this world..how can a father sell his daughter to a man who is much more elder than her….and think of young girl whose age is for going school and playing with doll, see an old man on her bed in the night …….wot a horrible scean….this should be curve down as soon as possible and fathers at Yemen should act like father not devil…. Really its very scary….very scary……..and shame on the man who gets married with such a young girl for his sex desire…….its really shame ful and puts our head down………!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
Seriously..just because the koran says prophet Mohammed married a 9year old..dasnt me u have to..burn tha father and the sick minded perv who married her..WERS THE SHARIA LAW ON THAT.. HUH??? Am 4rm yemen am a girl..but blessed with amazing parents. THANK God..
Wow that is disgusting… But any who the prophet muhammad married a girl at the age of 9 but he did not touch her until she was 18 years old… But that dude is sick
MEN who marry CHILDREN are SADISTIC PEDOPHILES. The parents who permit it are CRIMINALS. It’s a DISCUSTING CUSTOM!
MEN who marry CHILDREN are SADISTIC PEDOPHILES. Parents who permit it are CRIMINALS. Disgusting Custom!