Stories: Child Marriage
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Meet the Syrian refugee girls facing child marriage in Turkey
Dalal Abdullah is just 13, but her mother has already had to fend off a string of requests for her hand in marriage. A rich Syrian who knew the family back in Aleppo whence they fled four years ago, came and offered 20,000 Turkish lira for the pretty young teenager. A wealthy Turk offered 30,000 lira — enough to pay the rent on...
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In push to end child marriage in Guatemala, young women are on the front line
In this remote village perched high in the hills of eastern Guatemala, a spunky 21-year-old in high-tops and skinny black jeans is holding court in a former coffee-processing plant. In front of Patricia Rossibel Cortéz Jiménez are dozens of girls, ages 8 to 18, who whisper and swing their feet beneath plastic chairs as she opens a weekly...
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Global Movement Against Child Marriage Grows Stronger
Marcia Almeida holds her 3-month-old daughter inside a patterned capulana, a sarong that doubles as a baby carrier and talks about her recent marriage at the age of 16. She says her husband provides everything she needs. Except for one thing, she says: She feels disconsolate over the fact she might miss out on her dream of becoming a teacher. Marcia,...
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African Union Pledges a Stop to Child Marriage
Mozambique has one of the world’s highest rates of child marriage - driven by strong social and cultural traditions, despite the practice being illegal. Early marriage compromises girls’ right to education and can have a devastating impact on their health. The African Union has pledged to stop all child marriages within a generation. In this...