Out of Nigeria, Africa, comes the very tragic story of a 14 year old girl who was forced to marry a 35 year old man. Days later, she bought some rat poison at a market and used it to prepare a meal for her husband and several of his friends.
The groom, Umaru Sani, and one friend died that day. Two others died in hospital later.
They were from a village, Ungwar Yansoro, which is about 100 km from the city of Kano in northern Yuganda.
Wasila Umaru confessed to poisoning the men because she was forced to marry someone she did not love.
Child marriage is common sub-Saharan Africa and especially in the mainly Muslim and impoverished north of Nigeria. In times of drought, the number of child brides increase because the parents of the bride are paid by the groom and she is one less mouth to feed.
Half of all girls living in rural Nigeria are married before they turn 18. There are more than 20 million girls under 18 in Nigeria. I do not know the ratio of city-dwellers to urban people.
There are so many tragedies for child brides it is difficult for many of us to grasp. In some countries girls can be married before the age of 8, although, legally, the marriage cannot be consummated until the girl is at least 8 years old. An 8 year old girl is not ready for sex, especially with a physically mature man.
And, teenage girls are often not ready to have children, especially in rural areas of 3rd world countries. Consequently, complications in pregnancy is the leading cause of death for girls between 15 and 19 years of age, globally!
Child brides have a much higher risk of contracting AIDS, and are much more likely to suffer from physical abuse at the hands of her husband and his family.
In Nigeria, you cannot legally marry a girl under the age of 18. However, in the mainly Muslim north, there is little respect for Nigerian law. They are far more likely to follow Shariah, and the government is largely incapable of enforcing their laws in the north, so, no-one has ever been prosecuted for marrying a child bride.
Shariah allows a man to have 4 wives. One rather infamous person to take advantage of Shariah is Senator Sani Ahmed Yerima. The senator, and former Governor of Zamfara State, wanted to marry a 14 year old girl, but already had 4 wives, so he divorced a wife who was just 17 years old. Yarima was 49 years old at the time.
Divorced child brides and many of those who suffer complications from pregnancy or other medical issues, are simply just tossed out onto the streets. Used, abused, and then thrown away - that's what Shariah law means to girls.
Please pray for this horrific practice to end along with the absurdly misogynistic attitude that allows it.
The groom, Umaru Sani, and one friend died that day. Two others died in hospital later.
They were from a village, Ungwar Yansoro, which is about 100 km from the city of Kano in northern Yuganda.
Wasila Umaru confessed to poisoning the men because she was forced to marry someone she did not love.
Child marriage is common sub-Saharan Africa and especially in the mainly Muslim and impoverished north of Nigeria. In times of drought, the number of child brides increase because the parents of the bride are paid by the groom and she is one less mouth to feed.
Half of all girls living in rural Nigeria are married before they turn 18. There are more than 20 million girls under 18 in Nigeria. I do not know the ratio of city-dwellers to urban people.
There are so many tragedies for child brides it is difficult for many of us to grasp. In some countries girls can be married before the age of 8, although, legally, the marriage cannot be consummated until the girl is at least 8 years old. An 8 year old girl is not ready for sex, especially with a physically mature man.And, teenage girls are often not ready to have children, especially in rural areas of 3rd world countries. Consequently, complications in pregnancy is the leading cause of death for girls between 15 and 19 years of age, globally!
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| Yarima and one of his brides |
Child brides have a much higher risk of contracting AIDS, and are much more likely to suffer from physical abuse at the hands of her husband and his family.
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| Another of Yarima's brides She was 13 when married |
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| Sen Yarima |
Divorced child brides and many of those who suffer complications from pregnancy or other medical issues, are simply just tossed out onto the streets. Used, abused, and then thrown away - that's what Shariah law means to girls.
Please pray for this horrific practice to end along with the absurdly misogynistic attitude that allows it.
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