Child marriage and marital rape are still legal in Yemen (2013)
The story of Nujood Ali shocked the world. She was married off at 8, then raped and beaten by her husband. Yet child marriage remains legal and common in Yemen.
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The Youngest Bride (2013) was made by SBS Australia and is distributed by Journeyman Pictures.
Escape to the court
"He sexually assaulted me on the wedding night. His mother was holding me," Nujood remembers.
Traumatised, she asked her relatives for refuge. They turned her away for fear of shaming the family. With no one to rely on but herself, she took a taxi to the court. A judge, outraged by her story, granted her a divorce.
A law that does not protect girls
Nujood was lucky. Yemen does not recognise marital rape as a crime and has no minimum age of marriage. According to the film, a reform to introduce one was blocked last year by Yemen's Muslim Brotherhood.
"Islam doesn't specify an age for marriage. Why make a problem out of nothing?" asks one member of Yemen's parliament.
Nujood is determined to fight child marriage in Yemen when she grows up. But an estimated half of all brides are under 18, and many families hope a dowry will ease their poverty. She faces a bitter struggle.
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