ASMAA FATHI

Cairo- Child marriage is still common in some countries although it is a violation of human rights. According to studies, poverty, low education level, unemployment, high number of children, gender roles and traditions are some of reasons for the increase in child marriage.

Egypt’s city Alexandria also suffers from the increase in child marriage rates. 35-year-old Rawda Jamal (not her real name), is one of the victims of child marriage in the city. When she was 15, she was forced to marry her cousin. “My parents told me that my destiny was to get married and take care of my family. I became a mother of three when I was also a child.” Rawda Jamal decided to live for her children.

‘Girls are not aware of their rights being violated’

Egyptian lawyer Sana Remzi told us that the rates of child marriage has been increasing in Alexandria. “Most of child marriages end in divorce. Girls, who are victims of child marriage, cannot shoulder the burden of marriage because they are just children. Some families decide to marry off their daughters at an early age due to poverty. They think a rich husband will provide a good and safe life to their daughters.”

Speaking about the life of girls before and after the marriage, she said, “Before the marriage, girls are very happy because they receive gifts and go shopping. They are not aware of their rights being violated.  A few years after marriage and after having children, they start looking for a way out because they feel they are imprisoned. Then, they decide to divorce. Most of victims of child marriage are subjected to domestic violence. They cannot tell violence against them because they are afraid of being labeled. Even if their families know that their daughters are subjected to violence, they remain silent and cover it up.”

‘They are subjected to marital rape’

Sana Remzi spoke about a case of a 16-year-old girl, who was subjected to marital rape. “She had to endure this painful situation for three years. “When she turned 18, she filed for divorce. In another case, a girl was married off to a civil servant by her parents due to financial reasons. She was subjected to violence for 15 years and then she killed herself.”

‘There are social networks that encourage child marriage’

Another Egyptian lawyer Amani Shawky Al-Bagoury thinks the divorce rates are high in Egypt due to the increase in the rates of child marriage. Speaking about social networks encouraging child marriage, she said, “There are social networks that encourage child marriage. Parents must be educated about how they should raise their children to respect women’s rights. Campaigns must be launched to raise awareness about the impact of child marriage.”

‘Child marriage creates a generation in need of rehabilitation’

Underlining that child marriage creates a generation in need of rehabilitation, she said, “Child marriage is a violation of human rights. Parents force their daughters to have a life not appropriate for their age. We need tougher penalties to eliminate child marriage.”