Child Bride in Yemen, 10, Gets Divorce On Her Own
A 10-year-old Yemeni girl who went to court on her own in April to seek a divorce after being married as a child bride, has gotten her wish.
Nujood Ali, whose identity has been widely reported, has gotten her divorce—and sparked a debate about the plight of other girls in unhappy marriages, reports the Los Angeles Times.
Although Yemeni law sets the age of consent at 15, it is often ignored, according to the newspaper. Tribal custom and economic pressures can promote the marriages of younger girls; in Ali’s case, her father, who has 16 children by two wives, is unemployed.
There is no provision in the country’s law for prosecuting a man who sexually abuses his wife, and Ali’s husband, who she married in February and is reportedly over 30 years old, only agreed to the divorce in exchange for being paid $250, roughly four months’ salary amongst the poor in Yemen. A lawyer donated the money for the settlement.
Now that she has been allowed to return to her family, Ali says she is looking forward to going back to school.
“All I want now is to finish my education,” she says. “I want to be a lawyer.”
