Yemen Marriage Child Abuses 'Covered Up'

[Jazzy]

There are growing concerns that cases of girls being abused in child marriages in Yemen are being covered up by authorities.

The issue has returned to the spotlight after reports that an eight-year-old girl died of internal bleeding after marrying a man five times her age.

In 2006, the United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef) found 14% of Yemeni girls married before the age of 15 and more than half were married before they turned 18.

Poverty, illiteracy and a lack of awareness of the damage it causes young girls are all cited as reasons why child marriage is still practised.

Sky News Arabia spoke to two sisters, Sa'adah and Ameenah, both married at the age of 13, with the backing of their families.

Sa'adah gave birth to two children with her husband, but he has since abandoned them.

Ameenah, after spending months unhappy in her marriage, managed to find a way out and returned to her family home.

Both now live with their parents.

"I don't want another husband," said Sa'adah. "I just want to focus on my studies now. I advise girls not to get married before they finish their studies. When they get older then they can get married."

Although widespread, particularly in rural areas, child marriage is controversial and divisive in Yemen.

Campaigners have long fought for a minimum legal marriage age to be introduced but previous attempts have been blocked by conservative politicians in the country.

However, the emergence earlier this month of a troubling story from northern Yemen has reignited the debate and could prove to be a turning point.

Local media reports claimed that an eight-year old child, known as Rawan, died from heavy bleeding after sleeping with her 40-year old husband.

The story spread on social media sites and soon reached newspapers and broadcasters around the world causing outrage and dismay.

Full article with video

Horrible and no end to this in sight.

 

[DrLeftover]

And since it is condoned by Sharia, get used to it.

(No, I don't just say things for the hell of it)

May 27th, 2013
Three years ago, 12-year-old Fatima was "sold" into marriage to a man more than four times her age. Her father, unemployed and addicted to drugs, sold her into wedlock for about $10,500, money that he then used to buy himself a car. You might be asking yourself how this possible. The answer – because there is no minimum age of marriage law in Saudi Arabia.
...
After years of debate, the Ministry of Justice has drafted regulations setting 16 as the minimum age of marriage in the Kingdom. If a girl is under 16, her mother’s approval must be received. If a male guardian applies, a designated court of marriage must also approve the marriage before consent can be given.

http://globalpublicsquare.blogs.cnn.com/2013/05/27/will-saudi-arabia-end-child-marriage/



More:
http://news.kuwaittimes.net/child-marriage-in-the-arab-world/

and
http://www.irinnews.org/report/33985/pakistan-child-marriages-on-the-rise-across-rural-sindh