(Spotlight4774)Child Marriage in Yemen 26 September, 2011
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Welcome to Spotlight. I'm Liz Waid. Voice 2
And I'm Joshua Leo. Spotlight uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand - no matter where in the world they live.
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A girl sits in a hall at the local court. She is only ten years old. She waits quietly. People hurry past her. They do not notice her. They do not know that this little girl is about to make history. Her name is Nujood Ali.
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Ali waits on the bench for half a day. Finally, someone stops to ask her why she is waiting. She says,
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“I came to get a divorce.”
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The court did permit Ali to divorce her husband. The year was 2008. Ali was the youngest person permitted to end her marriage by divorce in the world. Child marriages happen in many countries. The young girls become brides before they are ready. And many child brides do not ever get the chance to get a divorce like Ali. But there are ways people can stop the problem of child marriages. Today's Spotlight is on child marriage, in Yemen and around the world. Voice 2
Ali grew up in Yemen. She lived with her family outside the city of Sana'a. When she was ten years old, her father sold her to be married. Ali's new husband was much older - he was in his thirties. Voice 1
After they married, Ali suffered. Her husband was very violent. He forced her to have sex. Her husband's parents also beat her. Ali knew she did not want to be married any more. She knew she wanted a divorce.
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Two months later, Ali escaped. A female relative gave Ali money to travel to the court. After arriving, Ali waited at the court for half a day. A judge finally asked her why she was there. He listened to her story and wanted to help her.
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The judge brought Ali to a lawyer named Shada Nasser. As a lawyer, Nasser defends people in court. In particular, her goal is to defend the rights of women. Nasser knew she wanted to help Ali.
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Nasser told Ali's story in court. She told the judge about Ali's husband. She told him about the beatings, and forced sex. And the judge decided that Ali was permitted to end her marriage.
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After her divorce, Nujood Ali wrote a book about her experience. A French writer helped her tell her story. Ali wanted to encourage other child brides who might have the same problems. The book became a bestseller. Millions of people wanted to read her amazing story.
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Ali was a child bride. But she is not alone. In Yemen, child marriage is common. Yemen's Ministry of Social Affairs is a government group. It collects information about society. It says that 25 percent of girls in Yemen marry before the age of 15. The Yemen Times newspaper reports that some girls are married as young as eight. Yemeni law does not permit marriage for girls younger than 15. However, many marriages happen in secret. People pay police bribes so that the police do not report the marriages. But why are so many young girls married so young?
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In some cultures, like in Yemen, it is traditional for young girls to marry. People see marriage as an honour. An unmarried woman is shameful for her family. And sometimes parents want their daughter to marry at a young age. They think this is the best choice for their child. That is because they believe that marriage means that the girl will have what she needs. A husband can provide food, clothing, and a home. He can protect her from danger.
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However, some parents sell their children into marriage. In these cases usually the parents are very poor. They have no money to care for their children. They may sell a daughter to a much older man. They make money from this sale. They also no longer need to care for their daughter. The husband provides for the new bride.
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Marriage also connects two families together. Poor families want to have a child marry someone with more money. This improves a family's social position. The marriage is good for the whole family. The parents believe that they gain honour because of this marriage. However in these situations, the daughter does not have a choice. She may not even know about the marriage before it happens. She has no time to prepare.
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Another reason young girls get married is that many older men want younger brides. The bride may even be a man's second or third wife. The men want to have many children. Many child brides become pregnant at a very young age. A young bride might give birth to her first child at twelve years old. She is able to have many children while she is still young. But pregnancy at such a young age is dangerous. Young mothers have a higher risk of death in childbirth. And their babies are also at risk for serious problems, and even death.
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Usually the husbands force their young wives to have sex. The husband wants to have sex with his wife to gain honour. It would shame his family if he did not. Sometimes the sex is violent. A husband may also beat his wife if she does not want to have sex. However, sex at this young age can also cause terrible damage to a girl's body. For these reasons, and more, child marriage is usually not legal. However, the tradition continues.
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Child marriage is not just a problem in Yemen. It is a problem in many different cultures and religions around the world. There are many organizations working to end the tradition of child brides. One important organization is the International Center on Research for Women, or ICRW. The ICRW works with organizations around the world to improve the lives of women.
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According to the ICRW, one of the most important ways to prevent child marriage is education. This means education for the community, and for girls. When girls continue their education, they marry at older ages. But they can also help their communities. Many nations with a tradition of child brides are very poor. Education can end poverty. Education means work. It means money. It means a future.
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The most successful programs encourage girls to continue in school. But they also help communities understand why their daughters need an education. And these programs teach communities about the problems and dangers of child marriage. In countries like India, child marriage has greatly decreased through programs like these. Child marriage is not just a problem for girls. It is a problem for the whole community. And the whole community must work together to end it.
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The writer of this program was Johanna Poole. The producer was Michio Ozaki. The voices you heard were from the United Kingdom and the United States. All quotes were adapted and voiced by Spotlight. You can find our programs on the internet at http://www.radioenglish.net. This program is called ‘Child Marriage in Yemen'. Voice 2
We hope you can join us again for the next Spotlight program. Goodbye.
