9 is Too Young to be Married...

2 Young Girls Leave their Husbands in Yemen

Arranged and forced marriages are affecting very young girls in poor countries around the world. "Child marriage remains a widely accepted practice, especially in very poor and rural areas"(Banbury, UNICEF). Two young girls 9 and 10 were married and they left their husbands who were older men. This was a situation of marriages that where arranged by their families. This is happening in Yemen and a great number of other countries around the world according to UNICEF USA.

So Why are these Young Girls Married off Young?

1. Struggling parents

2. Family convenience

3. Family benefit(like selling their children).

4. "Parents may think an early marriage will protect their daughters from random sexual assault(UNICEF,USA).

5. "The parent's may see these marriages as a way to ensure their daughters won't become pregnant out of wedlock"(UNICEF, USA).

These are all horrible excuses and these young girls have no rights. They are human beings just like you and me. Where is their Human Right: "Right to Marry and Family". In the past 100 years their human right to marry has not changed one bit. They have NO future. "For so many young girls, child marriage crushes their ability to create their own future"(UNICEF). They are left with so many obligations they don't know nothing about.

These young girls (child brides) are not allowed to go to school, play with their friends, and instead they have to do chores among other things. "Girls married at a young age also face serious health risks from pregnancy and childbirth, a girl under age 16 is five times more likely to die in pregnancy or childbirth than a woman between 20-14"(UNICEF,USA). These two young girls in Yemen where just two lucky ones that got away. Their are millions that can't. UNICEF is working on putting an end to early marriages because it "robs girls of their childhood".

Source: www.unicefusa.org