A recent news story out of Yemen highlights the case of a 12-year-old child bride who died while giving birth.
From the Associated Press:
Youssef was only 11 when her father married her to a 24-year-old man who works as a farmer in Saudi Arabia, said Ahmed al-Quraishi, chairman of Siyaj human rights organization, which promotes the rights of children in Yemen.
Al-Quraishi said that he stumbled upon Youssef in the hospital while investigating cases of children who had fled from the fighting in the north.
“This is one of many cases that exist in Yemen,” said al-Quraishi. “The reason behind it is the lack of education and awareness, forcing many girls into marriage in this very early age.”
It is vital that the United States remind regimes that violate women’s rights that this issue is non-negotiable. We as a nation must remain committed to speaking out on behalf of the downtrodden, particularly when their governments refuse to act. There is no excuse for such mistreatment. All women deserve basic human rights, regardless of where they live.