Groomed for Sex

Child marriage has always been deeply rooted in Arab and Muslim countries alike. This hideous disregard to childhood innocence, obvious violation of human rights and absolute misinterpretation of fundamental Islamic teachings usually result in nothing but physical, sexual and emotional abuse and maternal mortality. For it is a well-known fact that girls between the age of 10 and 14 are more likely to be subjected to death during pregnancy/child birth more than older women.

Thousands, if not millions, of girls in these countries are forcefully compelled to marry older men. The motivations behind such degrading practice may be derived from traditional, societal or even financial backgrounds. Accordingly, these child brides are deprived of their rights in education, healthy wellbeing and ordinary childhood joys.

Young girls, mostly under 18, are not viewed as children or teenagers, but as devoted housewives and responsible mothers. This practice only dictats young girls' lives and often lead to exposing them to marital responsibilites and health hazards (mainly due to bearing children at an extremely young age) that are normally too much for them to handle.

In April, a 10-year-old Yemeni girl named Nujood Ali made it to the news agencies worldwide for her courageous attempt to file a divorce against her husband (22 years old her senior) and protested against this type of abusive marriage. Luckily, the judge decided to terminate the marriage.

In Afghanistan, things are not any better. Roshan Qasem, 11, shares Nujood's agony as she was forced to marry Said Mohammad, 55, and accordingly will join his other family soon (first wife, 3 sons and one daughter at Roshan's age).

In Saudi Arabia, though, the problem seems to take a whole new dimension of social sadism. Back in 2006, a 100-year-old man was married to a 19-year-old girl. The old man claims to be in a perfect shape due to the healthy diet he has been following for years.

Possible Solutions:

1. Educating young girls about the power of learning and knowledge and raising them to be future leaders.

2. Increasing the public awareness on the essential human rights and the dreadful, revolting outcomes of child marriage.

3. Improving both the educational and economic systems in these countries to provide young women with better opportunities and independant life styles.