Yemen Marriage Child Abuses 'Covered Up'

By Zein Ja'Far, Sky News Producer

There are growing concerns that cases of girls being abused in child marriages in Yemen are being covered up by authorities.

The issue has returned to the spotlight after reports that an eight-year-old girl died of internal bleeding after marrying a man five times her age.

In 2006, the United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef) found 14% of Yemeni girls married before the age of 15 and more than half were married before they turned 18.

Poverty, illiteracy and a lack of awareness of the damage it causes young girls are all cited as reasons why child marriage is still practised.

Sky News Arabia spoke to two sisters, Sa'adah and Ameenah, both married at the age of 13, with the backing of their families.

Sa'adah now has two young children and was abandoned by her husband

Sa'adah gave birth to two children with her husband, but he has since abandoned them.

Ameenah, after spending months unhappy in her marriage, managed to find a way out and returned to her family home.

Both now live with their parents. 

"I don't want another husband," said Sa'adah. "I just want to focus on my studies now. I advise girls not to get married before they finish their studies. When they get older then they can get married."

Although widespread, particularly in rural areas, child marriage is controversial and divisive in Yemen.

Protesters have called for an minimum age for marriage in Yemen

Campaigners have long fought for a minimum legal marriage age to be introduced but previous attempts have been blocked by conservative politicians in the country.

However, the emergence earlier this month of a troubling story from northern Yemen has reignited the debate and could prove to be a turning point.

Local media reports claimed that an eight-year old child, known as Rawan, died from heavy bleeding after sleeping with her 40-year old husband.

The story spread on social media sites and soon reached newspapers and broadcasters around the world causing outrage and dismay.

Authorities in Yemen denied the story was true.

Ameenah was 13 when she married but managed to return to her family

Then, a girl, identifying herself as Rawan, gave an interview to a journalist telling him she was alive, healthy and unmarried. 

Saeed al Batati, who filmed the interview with the young girl and her father, said there was disagreement between local residents and officials about Rawan's fate. 

Armed security escorts and local residents surrounded the interviewees "creating a sense of fear".

To add to the uncertainty, when photos of the eight-year old were shown to neighbours, who claimed to know the family, they denied they were of Rawan.

Some have suggested the country's authorities are trying to suppress what, if true, would be a tragic and deeply disturbing episode.

Young girls and their children are being killed, claims Arwa Othman

Yemen human rights minister Huriya Mashhoor said she was pressing parliament to ban the practice and pass a minimum legal marriage age of 18.

But her attempts could once again be blocked by political opponents who say the issue is blown out of proportion and will refuse to sign off on any new legislation.

It is a view strongly disputed by human rights activist Arwa Othman.

"We don't want anyone trying to downplay this problem," she said.

"It's a practise that exists and we have tens of women who are killed at a young age. Them and their children."

Yemen is one the world's poorest countries, racked by political divisions and instability and those fighting hard to end child marriage could face a long battle.

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