Here comes the (child) bride!

Volume 2, Issue 29- July 22-28, 2011

International Tribune

They are taken away during their sleep in the middle of the night by their own father.  Mothers watch their young daughters leave home without hesitation.  Some girls will go submissively because they know the consequences for their protests.  Others do not part without a fight begging their family for mercy.  Some are gagged or even drugged to make the event as peaceful as possible and not disturb their neighbors during the middle of the night.  The tradition must go on.

Photo by Stephanie Sinclair

This summer weddings will be held all across the Middle East, Asia and parts of Africa.   Brides in Afghanistan, India, Yemen, and Nigeria will be between the ages of 5 to 18.  Girls in their late teens are already considered old.  And for the groom, the average age of the marrying chap ranges from 40 to 60 years of age.  They are about the same age as the bride’s father- or even older.  The older, the more experienced he is and can provide financial stability.  Thus, if they are more financially stable, this could possibly be the second or third young bride he will be betrothed to. 

Historically, arranged marriage of child brides with a much older man is part of the custom.  And vice versa, the betrothal of two prepubescent child-couple is not out of the ordinary.  This type of marriage has been an old tradition in the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia.  Seen through the eyes of such tribes, this is simply a practical way to ensure their clan from financial security and to avoid hunger. Arranging the marriage of their child at a very young age is perceived as means to maintain the family’s prosperity.  It is a way for some families to pay off their debt, and more importantly, to keep the chastity of their daughters.  Marrying a virgin is a matter of honor and a crucial factor to men in Afghanistan, Yemen, and India.  Their pride and dignity are at stake for this milestone in their lives. 

Islamic countries have the highest percentage of child brides in the world today.  Girls are wedded as early as 5 or promised into a marriage as soon as they turn a certain age- and it usually takes place before they hit puberty.  There are interpretations of the Quran where Muhammed married his bride Aisha at the age of 9.  Challenging the Islamic religious order in these theocratic regimes is almost impossible.  In Afghanistan, most child brides find self-immolation as a way out of their misery.  It is not uncommon for a girl to pour kerosene and set herself on fire.  Should she ever attempt to escape and run away, she is subject to extreme punishment by her husband and other male elders from her village.  Bibi Aisha is a 9 year old child bride who suffered enormously beyond one can endure for her age by her own father-in- law and other village clerics when she attempted to run away.  As her punishment, she was taken to an outer village in the Orzugan Province of Afghanistan and was mutilated to death by cutting her ears and nose off.  Bibi’s husband was not only a conspirator but also an accomplice to the savagery by holding her down during the ghastly event.  Afterwards, Bibi was left on the road until a woman’s organization found her and took her away.  Last week, the only suspect to this case was released out of prison because in reality, the laws in Afghanistan are more tolerant over males who committed such crimes.  

Nujood Ali

In 2008, a 10 years old girl of Yemeni descent sparked headlines all over the world as the first divorcee ever granted to a child bride which put her and her family’s lives at risk.  Nujood Ali became the youngest divorcee in the world.  Once again, with the aid of an international women’s organization, necessary exposure rendered by the media and western countries who were willing to help her with legal matters- she was able to free herself from her grim experience.  

Today, there are recent laws that have been applied to ban marriage of underage minors.  Before, the British left India, the Child Marriage Restraint Act was ordained in 1929 and forbade a male or female to marry before the age of 18 years.  It was not until 2005 when a new national plan was enacted to ban child marriage altogether.  With the National Plan of Action for Children in 2005, the government set a goal to eliminate child marriage and little by little, the plan is helping although it is still very difficult to monitor all cases considering that such arranged marriages now take place in utmost secrecy.  Recently, a five year old girl named Rajani from a rural village in India was taken from her sleep by her uncle during the wee hours of the morning to her wedding ceremony.  Neighbors were invited from the village and everyone kept the event a secret.   Despite the laws that forbid such matrimony from taking place, the old tradition continues. 

There are ways to apply laws after the fact but there are certainly no quick solutions to this issue.  Is this another distorted age-old religious interpretation?  Or is it just gender differences in some parts of the world?  Regardless, this is a tradition that must be stopped.