Early marriage and late marriage in Yemen
Why are young girls in Yemen forced into early marriage? This episode of Stories with Akram Khuzam, shown on Alhurra, looks for answers.
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The questions
The episode asks:
- What are the real reasons behind forcing young girls into early marriage?
- What are the health, psychological and social effects of marrying girls at an early age?
- What is the position of the state on forcing young girls to marry?
- What about women who remain unmarried in Yemen, and the problems they face?
Two women's stories
One young woman cries as she remembers her wedding night, when she was eight years old. She says her husband raped her, with the help of his mother and sister.
Another woman, Hala, is still unmarried after the age of thirty. She says she can no longer marry at this age.
About the series
Stories with Akram Khuzam is a weekly Alhurra series on social and cultural issues in Arab countries. People from the Middle East describe, in their own words, how these issues affect their lives.