His fiancé is 16, and the proposed law may thwart his marriage plans. “The wedding was scheduled to take place in four months time. The new law could fix the minimum age of marriage to 17 or 18 and I can’t wait another year,” said the university lecturer.
Even if the law is enacted, he seriously thinks of bypassing it. “I’ll follow Shariah principles in marriage like bringing two witnesses and a marriage registrar. I don’t need an official marriage contract for the time being. I’ll apply for official documents when my wife reaches the lawful age of marriage,” he added.
In his conservative village, families believe that the longer a girl remains at her father’s house, the chances of her getting married become less likely. “They [the girls] usually get married when they reach the 9th grade in primary school and are engaged before then. When girls reach secondary school age, prospective suitors tend to ignore them,” said Abdullah, who is 25.
The much talked about issue of early marriage has caused a heated debate in Yemeni society. The issue has come into the limelight after details of two young girls who were forced to marry early hit the news. Fawziya Ammodi, a 12-year-old from the coastal district of Hudiedah, died of severe bleeding during a three-day long complicated childbirth. Her baby also died.
The other girl, Nojoud, 9, escaped from her husband’s house shortly after her marriage. Later on, a Yemeni court annulled her marriage. NGOs in Yemen have ever since lobbied for an amendment in the current legislation, which doesn’t restrict the marriage age.
In February 2009, government officials considered enacting a law that fixed the minimum marriage age at 17, but some parliamentarians voted against it saying the amendments violate Shariah law.
In Feb. 22 this year, more that 1,000 children came on to the streets of Sana’a demanding parliament fix the minimum age for marriage. The young demonstrators handed over a letter to MPs signed by thousands of people from across the country calling for legislation limiting the age of marriage.
Organized in conjunction with the Dutch embassy in Sana’a and other NGOs, the demonstration was held to mount pressure on parliament to accelerate the process of setting the minimum marriage age to 17.
Abrar Saleh, a university student and mother, thinks the minimum suitable age for marriage is 20 even though she got married at 18.
“This is because girls at this age are aware of all of the responsibilities and challenges they will face in life. Seventeen-year-old girls or those who are younger are not suitable. I want to shout at parents and tell them not to kill their daughters,” she said.
According to a 2007 report issued by the International Centre for Research on Women (ICRW), Yemen ranked 13 out of the 20 worst countries in terms of prevalence of child marriage with 48.4 percent of women under 18 married.
Dr. Abdullah Bahaj, a social worker, said he is in favor of a minimum marriage age as long as it does not contradict Islamic teachings. He added that there are many social and tribal hurdles in the way of enforcing the law. “We must work in the interest of society,” he said.
