Friday, February 6, 2009

The youngest divorcee

No, I'm not talking about a BYU freshman who had a quickie marriage in Vegas and is now back on the market... (but see this cover story from the Daily Universe a few days ago).

I just read an article that is a follow-up to the 8-year-old Yemeni girl who left the house of her much older husband (remember how this post got me in one of the top 10 searches for "naked yemeni girls"?), was discerning enough to go to a courthouse, and sue for divorce. She was officially the youngest divorcee, and has been hailed for her bravery. As a result of her actions, Yemen has officially raised the legal age of marriage to 18, and is pursuing further action to combat the problem of child marriage in their country. It's so neat to see one person's influence expand so quickly. I'm sure Nujood had no idea the magnitude of her decision. While there is caution to this tale, namely that in honor-shame societies young girls are killed or maimed for this kind of rebellion, I am hopeful that this one little girl's quest will help many others in the same situation.

1 comment:

  1. That is spectacular! I hope she stays safe~!

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