Thursday 16 April 2009

Efforts to reduce early marriage

Some 80 % of Yemeni women get married early, official report
By Nasser Arrabyee/16/04/2009


About 80 % of the Yemeni women get married early, said a recent government report.

Early marriage is one of the main reasons behind the economic, health and social problems facing the development in Yemen, said the report which was presented last week to the cabinet by the Minister of Social Affairs and Labour.

Some 24.6 % of the women get married when they are 10-14 years old, while 56 % of them get married when they are 15-19 years old, the report detailed.

The early marriage is a phenomenon in Yemen with respect to males and females, and it's widespread in both rural and urban areas, the report added.
Some 48 % of the women under 15 years old get married early, and about 45 % of males and females get married when they are about 10 years, the report said.

The report said steps will be taken to reduce the early marriage through a ministerial committee made up of the ministers of social affairs, justice, legal affairs, health, guidance and Islamic affairs, and human rights.

The steps will include support for making the minimum age of marriage 17 years for both males and females.

A controversy has been going on in Yemen since February 11th, 2009, when some Islamist MPs supported by some clerics refused as not Islamic the 17 years as the minimum age of marriage although it was voted for by the majority of the House of Representatives.


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