Yemen- Yemeni Families Resort to Child Marriage amid Unbearable Living Expenses

Location: Taiz – Yemen

Language: Arabic 

Voice:  natural

Duration: 00:03:04

Source: A24

Restrictions: A24 Clients

Dateline: 22-01-2022

Storyline

In the war-ravaged region, where armed conflicts never seem to cease, thousands of female children in Yemen are forced into underage marriages, which denies them education and steals away their dreams. Rozana Abdel Salam Mahiob, a 12-year-old girl, and Angham Mohammad Ahmad, a 23-year-old girl were about to get married as their parents, who live in abject poverty, took the decision on behalf of them to be relieved of the cost of their care and to take the money paid by their grooms. However, the Peace and Social Security Organization intervened and stopped the marriage. In this respect, the organization seeks to raise awareness about the harm caused by underage marriage. Families’ dire need for food and medications was the main reason behind forcing their daughters into early marriage, according to the organization.

Shot list:

-SOUNDBITE (Mother of Angham)

I will sell my daughter even if she is still a child. It is true that I feel sad but I have no other option. I will sell her even for 500 thousand. How can I pay for her sisters and brother’s school expenses? My 16-year old son can’t work a lot

-SOUNDBITE (Rawah Aklan – Director of Outreach Programs)

When we were studying two cases of early marriages, we concluded that there are two main reasons that drive parents into making such a decision. The first of which is the family’s poor cultural and social status. The second of which has to do with poverty spurred by the instability and the absence of any organizations or any aid by any authority

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