By: Sarah Magdy
Child marriage is a hot topic in the Arab world at the moment as the amount of discussion on social media shows.“Child marriage is a form of rape that is not recognised by the legislature. The criminal remains at large while the voice of the victim isn't heard.”.
Child marriage is a human rights violation that puts young girls at risk and keeps them mired in poverty. Unfortunately, this problem is more prevalent than you might think more than 60 million girls under the age of 18 are married, many to men twice their age or even older.
It’s commonly believed that forced and child marriage are most common in Saudi Arabia, Yemen and Egypt, but there was surprising news recently: Iraq is one of the worst offenders amongst Arab countries.
Marrying at a young age has lifelong consequences. Early marriage thwarts her chances at education, endangers her health and cuts short her personal growth and development. Maternal health risks are particularly troubling as risk of death in pregnancy and delivery for girls under the age of 15 is five times higher than for women in their 20s.
In those communities where the practice of child marriage remains common, families can feel it’s not worth investing at all in the education of their daughters.
I think Education is the most important key to help ending the practice of forced child marriages. Many believe that education may prove to be more successful in preventing child marriages than banning child marriages.
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