Child Marriage Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Child Marriage - Essay Example 1. The law in Yemen set the minimum age at one that is approved for marriage to be 15 years, but traditional customs more often than not continuously flout this law. However, the law was abolished in 1999 with the minimum age being set as at when the girl attains the puberty age 3. In the actual practice, it can be said that the law in Yemen allows women of any age to be able to wed, but it is forbidden to practice sex with them until they achieve the age where it is now suitable to do so 4. The law was later to be raised from the minimum age of marriage to be 18 years after a girl, Nujood Ali, 10 years of age, in April 2008 was able to be granted divorce successfully after being raped under the set circumstances 5. Much later in 2008, a council for maternal care and Childhood came up with the proposal for the minimum age to be defined at 18 years and was passed as laws in April 2009, but age was set at 17 years 6. However, inspired by Nujood Ali, Yemenis continued pushing for change with her involved in some of the rallies held. Some of these campaigns can even claim to have barred some early marriages in Yemen specifically in the State of Amran 1. This has been justified by clerics in Saudi Arabia with some even marrying off small girls who are at the age of 9 years, this being sanctioned even by law. The Saudi Arabian laws define the minimum marriage age to be as young as 8 years 2. Families take advantage of religion to condone and spread early marriages arranging for girls to be married in religious ceremonies, using the tactic of not registering officially them until the girl is of legal age. This practice disadvantages the girl, leaving her with no legal base to inherent, no alimony or support in case the husband was to pass away prematurely or divorce her 3. Middle East statistics regarding the child marriages are