Do you remember what were your favourite ways to spend your time when you were a 10yo? Especially as a girl, you must probably have a lot of time to play with your dolls. Most probably, only a few of you found out that they should leave school and get married. It is the case of Nojoud Ali, a child from Yemen that was sent out of her family to serve as wife. She dared to escape and fight for her life and with the help of the judges from Sanaa, Yemen's capital city, she succeeded to get the divorce and turned into a role model of fighter for the women's rights and dignity in Yemen.
Together with the French journalist Delphine Minoui, a familiar pen for those interested in the Middle East affairs, she published a book about her adventure, translated in more than 20 languages. It is an easy read, very direct and with a lot of food for thought. Children's marriages are a reality in many rural areas in the Middle East and Africa, and Yemen especially was the subject of late reports warning about the serious situation of early marriages and disrespect of fundamental rights. It is hard to imagine the consequences of such trauma for the future of the women and, in general, for the Yemeni society as such.
However, it is impossible to believe that any development
and democratic change will be possible in the near future without a clear
answer to cases such as the subject approached in this book. Nojoud Ali was a
lucky girl and her example could be a source of inspiration for many girls
going through the same nightmare. On the other hand, many need help and support
and a legislation that will defend them against all those who are abusing their
dignity, even though they should be against their parents.
Anyone who is interested in the issue of human rights should read this book and better appreciate the gifts of our Western world.
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