Yemen ratified the convention on the rights of the child in 1991, which sets a minimum age of marriage of 18, and acceded to the convention on the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women cedaw in 1984, which obligates states to. Although the government of yemen has made efforts that will improve the rights of women in yemen including the formation of a womens development strategy and a women health development strategy, many cultural and religious norms, along with poor enforcement of this. Jun 29, 2017 ending child marriage would generate large welfare benefits through a reduction in population growth, helping to usher in the demographic dividend. The rise in child marriages is a clear indication of the wars disproportionate impact on children. This story is created by children who try to advocate for increasing the marriage age in yemen through. Existence of child marriage in yemen essay 2546 words. A minor in a child marriage can be a girl or a boy, but the large majority of child marriages are between a girl and a man, and are rooted in gender inequality. More than 50% of the yemeni girls are married before 18, in which some of them are married by 8 years old.
Women in yemen have historically been placed at a disadvantage due to their sex, with a highly patriarchal society. Jul 22, 2005 early marriage, according to the child rights convention, is a marriage that takes place before the bride or groom reach the age of 18. Ending child marriage is indeed a mandatory task if we are to. Statistical records show that 51 million of girls between the age of 15 and 19 are married. Child marriage in the middle east and north africa international. Bbc news middle east child marriage and divorce in yemen. Child marriage, or early marriage, is any marriage where at least one of the parties is under 18 years of age. More than twothirds of yemeni girls are married off before they reach 18. Early marriage is vague and does not necessarily refer to children. Child marriage in yemen and pakistan sociology essay sample. In rural yemen, usaids safe age of marriage project used community mobilization efforts. Universal declaration of human rights udhr child marriage. Existent of child marriage in yemen it is a fact of every person that has to go through the process of birth, ages, sickness, and finally death. Apr 27, 2014 sanaa the yemeni government should expedite passage of a draft child rights law establishing 18 as yemens minimum marriage age.
According to le fever, quiroga and murphy 2004 noted that 2050 percent of women in developing countries are marred by the age of 18, with the highest percentages in sub. Sep 18, 20 yemen s human rights minister has vowed to ban child marriage after the reported death of an eightyearold girl on her wedding night huriya mashhoor said she would press parliament for the. Early marriage entails significant costs the costs of early marriage are primarily associated with early childbearing. The organization conducted a survey in six provinces in september. Pdf consanguineous marriage in the capital city sanaa. Feb 15, 2011 this film describes a story of a yemeni girl who was a victim of early marriage in yemen. Child marriages have been common all over the world. Some 72 percent of women said they were married by the time they were 18, and 44 percent were married by age 15. Early marriage denies girls their right to make vital. Health consequences of child marriage in africa volume. When young women who are not fully developed physiologically give birth early, the health of both mother and infant may suffer. Thanks to unicef and unfpa jordan, lebanon, yemen, sudan, morocco and egypt.
Moreover, what is early for one person may be late for another. Ohchr child, early and forced marriage, including in. In yemen, conservative social values and poverty force girls to marry and become young mothers before the age of 18, said ouis. The term child brides glorifies the tradition by portraying an image of joy and celebration. Yemen emerged from centuries of isolation following a.
Yemen has one of the worst records of child marriage in the world, with unicef recording in 2005 that 48. Yemeni child bride sentenced to death as man 5 times her age. The 54page report, how come you allow little girls to get married. All call for the free and full consent of both parties to marriage, a minimum age of marriage of 18, designation of child marriage as a harmful practice, and protection for the rights of children from all forms of exploitation.
Request pdf on dec 14, 20, abdulhadi a alamodi and others published child marriage in yemen find, read and cite all the research you need on. One of our key priorities is to learn what causes child marriage. Child marriage, as awful as it may seem to the larger part of the world, is a common practice in many islamic countries. A similar training is planned in aden early july 2019. In niger, for example, 77% of women in their early 20s were married as children. As we learn what leads people to marry their daughters and sons as children, we can address those causes to stop child marriage. Final evaluation of integrated action on poverty and early marriage, yemen ii executive summary background the prevalence of early marriage in yemen is the highest in the middle east and north africa region. Sanaa, april, 27, 2014 the yemeni government should expedite passage of a draft child rights law establishing 18 as yemens minimum marriage age. Child marriage, domestic violence and choice of partner.
In 2014, somalia signed a joint statement at the human rights council calling for a resolution on child marriage. While more women are now marrying at late ages, in many regions, early marriage remains the norms. Child marriage also occurs in parts of the middle east, including yemen and the rural maghreb. All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. Early marriage is also associated with leaving school, sometimes perma.
They have no say in whether or not they want to get married, it is decided for them. Early marriage makes completing education almost impossible for girls the relationship between child marriage and educational attainment for girls is also strong. Child marriage in yemen, documents the lifelong damage to girls who are forced to marry young. After years of civil war, child marriage is on the rise in. Cedaw in 1984, which obligates states to ensure free and full consent to marriage. Jenny cuffe, child marriage and divorce in yemen, bbc news, available at. Proportion of women aged 2024 in union by age 18 this map does not reflect a position by unicef on the legal status of any country or territory or the delimitation of any frontiers. Yemen cosponsored the 20 human rights council resolution on child, early and forced marriage. Early marriage is one of the biggest development challenges in yemen according to naseemurrehman, chief information officer at unicef sanaa. On april 27, 2014, legal affairs minister mohammad makhlafi.
Child marriage in the middle east and north africa. Child marriage, defined as marriage of a child under 18 years of age, is a silent and yet widespread practice. Research the impact of conflict on child marriage in. Furthermore, many parents believe that if they marry off their daughters early. April 2011 in yemen, one in three women ages 20 to 24 report that they were married before their 18th birthday.
Today, over 60 million marriages include girls under the age of 18 years. In the united states, child marriage is still permissible in some states, with parental or judicial consent. Nujood is set on fighting child marriage in yemen when she grows up. The government of yemen sharia legislative is blocking attempts to increase the marriege. Forced marriages are marriages in which one andor both parties have not personally expressed their full and free consent to the union. Child marriages on the rise amid yemeni conflict poor households with no income are giving their young daughters away in marriage to make ends meet. In terms of scholarship and international attention, the region is often overshadowed by the child marriage hotspots of. Traditionally, poor families have married off underage girls in exchange for money, a practice that is not only unethical. In terms of scholarship and international attention, the region is often overshadowed by the child marriage hotspots of subsaharan africa and southeast asia. Evaluation of integrated action on poverty and early.
Yemen is one of only two countries in the world that as no legislation on the minimum age for marriage. Ending child, early and forced marriage in yemen equitas. Child marriage has been referred to as early marriage or child brides, but these terms are not optimal. Immigrantcommunitiesintheunitedstatesseptember20115. In bangladesh, 45% of young women between 25 and 29 were married between the age of 10 and 14 unicef, 2001. Child marriage, defined as marriage of a child watch said today. While there is little information on the prevalence of child marriage in yemen, unicef estimates that 32% of girls are married before the age of 18. Early marriage is a violation of childrens human rights. Child marriage, defined as marriage of a child marriage include early marriage and child brides. This film describes a story of a yemeni girl who was a victim of early marriage in yemen. Child marriage is a fundamental human rights violation. In bangladesh, 45% of young women between 25 and 29 were.
Child marriage in yemen as yemen transitions politically and restructures its constitution, the number one priority should be to protect its citizensparticularly yemeni girls who are too often subject to child marriage. Despite being prohibited by international law, it continues to rob millions of girls under 18 around the world of their childhood. Early marriage compromises girls development and often results in early pregnancy and social isolation. Consanguineous marriage in the capital city sanaa, yemen article pdf available in journal of biosocial science 361. Digging up the roots of child marriage helps us replant the future for millions of girls around the world.
More than 40% of marriages in yemen s poorest areas are celebrated with girls younger than 15. Early marriage does not imply that children are involved, and the term is vague because an early marriage for one society may be considered late by another. Some 72 percent of women said they were married by the time they. Sanaa yemen should protect its girls from the devastating effects of early marriage by setting 18 as the minimum age for marriage by law, human rights watch said today. According to le fever, quiroga and murphy 2004 noted that 2050 percent of women in developing countries are marred by the age of 18, with the highest percentages in subshahaian africa and south asia.
This is a major violation because the girls are not becoming child brides out of free will, they are being forced to marry. The childs dark eyes shine from a pale face framed by her black headscarf. This rise in child marriages in yemen is a visible indicator of the conflicts. Child marriage is a marriage or similar union, formal or informal, between an adult and a child or another child under age eighteen. Sep 17, 20 child marriage in yemen as yemen transitions politically and restructures its constitution, the number one priority should be to protect its citizensparticularly yemeni girls who are too often subject to child marriage. Oxfam gb yemen has been implementing a primarily danidafunded. Yemeni child bride sentenced to death as man 5 times her age brutally consummates marriage on the first night. Early marriage, according to the child rights convention, is a marriage that takes place before the bride or groom reach the age of 18. Child marriages on the rise amid yemeni conflict the. Girls forced into early marriage are denied a childhood. From yemen where there is currently no minimum age for marriage, to libya where the minimum age is 20, early marriage is a varying problem in the middle east and north africa mena. A cda of online englishlanguage yemeni newspapers article pdf available in gema online journal of language studies 9711. Prior to the unification of yemen in 1990, the law set the minimum age of marriage at 16 in south yemen and 15 in the north. A cda of online englishlanguage yemeni newspapers article pdf available in gema online journal of language studies 9711 january 2011 with 127 reads.
Their educations are disrupted and their opportunities are. Early marriage denies girls their right to make vital decisions about their sexual health and wellbeing. Yemen, polygynous unions remain a common prac tice. The government of yemen sharia legislative is blocking attempts to increase the marriege age of girls by stating that this law is unislamic. Yemens human rights minister has vowed to ban child marriage after the reported death of an eightyearold girl on her wedding night huriya mashhoor said. The term child marriage is used to refer to both formal marriages and informal unions in which a girl or boy lives with a partner as if married before the age of 18. Child marriage is a human rights violation that prevents girls from obtaining an education, enjoying optimal health, bonding with others their own age, maturing, and ultimately choosing their own life partners. Early marriage has become alarmingly widespread in warstruck yemen, unicef said in march, as cited by ap. And although there seems to be a positive trend over generations, yemen still has the highest rate of early marriage in western asia and is considered one of the top 20 hot spots for child marriage. Sep 10, 20 sanaa, april, 27, 2014 the yemeni government should expedite passage of a draft child rights law establishing 18 as yemens minimum marriage age. Child marriage and rape is still legal in yemen 20 journeyman pictures. A marriage entered into without the full and free consent of one or. Jun 06, 2017 early marriage has become alarmingly widespread in warstruck yemen, unicef said in march, as cited by ap.
Ethiopia and some west african countries, some girls get married as early as 7 years. Dotted line represents approximately the line of control in jammu and kashmir agreed upon by india and pakistan. Child marriage can cause immense physical and psychological harm to girls. An informal union is one in which a couple live together for some time, intending to have a lasting relationship, but do not have a formal civil or religious ceremony. Child marriage in yemen history media on child marriage firsthand accounts maps of where child marriage is happening action plan to help stop child marriage universal declaration of human rights udhr. A 2006 field study revealed that child marriage among yemeni girls reached 52. Child marriage refers to any marriage of a child younger than eighteen years old, in accordance to article 1 of the. Introduction child marriage refers to any marriage of a child younger than eighteen years old, in accordance to article 1 of the convention of the right of the child. Jan 22, 2018 more than twothirds of yemeni girls are married off before they reach 18. Marriage practice victimizes young girls, society, radio free europe. Mar 17, 2014 yemen is one of only two countries in the world that as no legislation on the minimum age for marriage. The problem, says safa, is that early marriage, driven by patriarchal tradition and poverty, is justified as a solution for families, denying these young girls their rights to life and choice. Sep 01, 20 existent of child marriage in yemen it is a fact of every person that has to go through the process of birth, ages, sickness, and finally death.